KIKI’S JOURNEY

A significant number of facts and information about the Taos Pueblo are included in this tale, but the story lacks spark and seems contrived and message-driven. Orona-Ramirez (Taos Pueblo/Tarahumara) tells a gentle story of a Taos Pueblo child living in Los Angeles, who dislikes her tribe being grouped together with all other Indian tribes. A resulting visit to her parents’ home Pueblo gives Kiki a sense of belonging and much information about her heritage. Day’s (Taos Pueblo) paintings contain authentic patterns from the Pueblo and Plains Indians, and although colorful and instructive, they seem stilted and uninspired. It’s not clear why patterns from the Plains Indians are included. The didactic text will not draw a significant audience, and although books about contemporary Native American Indians are few, this one should be a marginal purchase. (Picture book. 5-8)