A PICTURE BOOK BY JOSEPH BRUCHAC
Crazy Horse's Vision. Parent's Choice Gold Award
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bruchac, Joseph. CRAZY HORSE'S VISION. Ill. by S.D. Nelson. New York: Lee and Low Books. ISBN: 9781584302827.
Bruchac, Joseph. CRAZY HORSE'S VISION. Ill. by S.D. Nelson. New York: Lee and Low Books. ISBN: 9781584302827.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
The book tells the story of the boyhood of a Lakota Indian who grew up to be the great leader and warrior, Crazy horse.
The book tells the story of the boyhood of a Lakota Indian who grew up to be the great leader and warrior, Crazy horse.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The story begins with the birth of Crazy Horse, named Curly, born to Lakota parents in the mid 19th century. Even in his youth Curly demonstrates the kindness and selflessness that defines him in his legacy. As a young man, he embarks on a vision quest after he witnesses the murder of a respected tribal leader by white soldiers. From his vision quest, he learns that he must lead his people and "keep nothing for yourself." S.D. Nelson paints this vision of a blue warrior riding on the back of Curly's horse across a bright blue sky with horses head instead of clouds. In the next two page spread, the colors are darker, and Nelson's brush strokes are stronger. After the vision, he returns to his village but does not share his vision until his fathers approaches him three years later. His father interprets the vision and tells Curly that he is the man on the horse, and that he will defend his people. His father gives him his name, Tashunka Witco, or in English, Crazy Horse.
Nelson explains in the Illustrator's Note that the paintings are in ledger-book style. During the forced removal of the Plains Indians at the end of the 19th century, many Lakotas were imprisoned. They were given ledger books with lined pages meant to be used for bookkeeping. Nelson explains that for Plains Indians, spiritual power came to those who made paintings of themselves and the world around them. Some of the imprisoned Lakotas used the ledger books to document their vanishing culture. S.D. Nelson says, "My intention was to draw young readers into the story. I hope that through my pictures, readers will not only gain a better understanding of Crazy Horse, but an insight into the art of the Plains Indians." For the paintings in the book, he used acrylic paints on wood.
Bruchac tells a compelling story and while his focus, as the title implies, is the Vision, he skillfully describes the tragedy of the Lakotas' encounter with the encroaching White race. Bruchac's story doesn't end with death of Crazy Horse, but the reader is informed in the Author's Note that Crazy Horse dies after being stabbed with a bayonet by a white soldier.
Books such as these, written and illustrated by insiders; Bruchac is of Abenaki descent and Nelson is of Lakota Sioux, inform a generation of children about varied and complex history of American Indians. In Crazy Horse, White children experience a Native American hero, much like the saints they may have learned about in their own culture. For American Indian children, Crazy Horse is a role model and opportunity to see in a book a positive reflection of their culture.
The story begins with the birth of Crazy Horse, named Curly, born to Lakota parents in the mid 19th century. Even in his youth Curly demonstrates the kindness and selflessness that defines him in his legacy. As a young man, he embarks on a vision quest after he witnesses the murder of a respected tribal leader by white soldiers. From his vision quest, he learns that he must lead his people and "keep nothing for yourself." S.D. Nelson paints this vision of a blue warrior riding on the back of Curly's horse across a bright blue sky with horses head instead of clouds. In the next two page spread, the colors are darker, and Nelson's brush strokes are stronger. After the vision, he returns to his village but does not share his vision until his fathers approaches him three years later. His father interprets the vision and tells Curly that he is the man on the horse, and that he will defend his people. His father gives him his name, Tashunka Witco, or in English, Crazy Horse.
Nelson explains in the Illustrator's Note that the paintings are in ledger-book style. During the forced removal of the Plains Indians at the end of the 19th century, many Lakotas were imprisoned. They were given ledger books with lined pages meant to be used for bookkeeping. Nelson explains that for Plains Indians, spiritual power came to those who made paintings of themselves and the world around them. Some of the imprisoned Lakotas used the ledger books to document their vanishing culture. S.D. Nelson says, "My intention was to draw young readers into the story. I hope that through my pictures, readers will not only gain a better understanding of Crazy Horse, but an insight into the art of the Plains Indians." For the paintings in the book, he used acrylic paints on wood.
Bruchac tells a compelling story and while his focus, as the title implies, is the Vision, he skillfully describes the tragedy of the Lakotas' encounter with the encroaching White race. Bruchac's story doesn't end with death of Crazy Horse, but the reader is informed in the Author's Note that Crazy Horse dies after being stabbed with a bayonet by a white soldier.
Books such as these, written and illustrated by insiders; Bruchac is of Abenaki descent and Nelson is of Lakota Sioux, inform a generation of children about varied and complex history of American Indians. In Crazy Horse, White children experience a Native American hero, much like the saints they may have learned about in their own culture. For American Indian children, Crazy Horse is a role model and opportunity to see in a book a positive reflection of their culture.
4. REVIEWS
Booklist: "Bruchac has created a memorable tale about Crazy Horse's childhood, capturing the spirit of one of the most dedicated and daring leaders among the Lakota."
School Library Journal:"A fine introduction to a hero long overlooked."
5. CONNECTIONS
This book could be used in an upper elementary classroom as an introduction to the culture of the Lakota Indians. Children can be asked to research the symbolic meaning of the colors use in the paintings. This book would pair nicely with other Bruchac book, A Boy Called Slow:The True Story of Sitting Bull.
Booklist: "Bruchac has created a memorable tale about Crazy Horse's childhood, capturing the spirit of one of the most dedicated and daring leaders among the Lakota."
School Library Journal:"A fine introduction to a hero long overlooked."
5. CONNECTIONS
This book could be used in an upper elementary classroom as an introduction to the culture of the Lakota Indians. Children can be asked to research the symbolic meaning of the colors use in the paintings. This book would pair nicely with other Bruchac book, A Boy Called Slow:The True Story of Sitting Bull.
A PICTURE BOOK BY CYNTHIA LEITICH SMITH
Jingle Dancer
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. 2000. JINGLE DANCER. Ill. by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying Hwa Hu. New York: Morrow Junior Books. ISBN:0688162428.
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. 2000. JINGLE DANCER. Ill. by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying Hwa Hu. New York: Morrow Junior Books. ISBN:0688162428.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Jingle Dancer is a picture book featuring Jenna, a Native American girl who seeks assistance from her family and community to help her make her dress"sing" when she dances in the upcoming powwow.
Jingle Dancer is a picture book featuring Jenna, a Native American girl who seeks assistance from her family and community to help her make her dress"sing" when she dances in the upcoming powwow.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Inspired by her Grandmother, a Jingle Dancer, Jenna wants to perform the Jingle Dance in the next powwow. But she doesn't have the jingles for her dress. In a story that reads like a nursery rhyme, Jenna goes from house to house, asking relatives and neighbors for jingles to sew into her dress. She lives in what appears to be a middle class suburban community. We learn in the Author's Note that Jenna is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and is of Ojibway (Chippewa/Anishinabe) descent. There are no cultural markers that I could detect in the story that would connect her to these American Indian Nations specifically, except for one mention of a Muscogee Creek story about a bat. Lietich explains that many tribes perform the Jingle Dance. However, the illustrations contain several cultural markers that connect the story to the Native American culture, for example, woven baskets, a dreamcatcher, and fry bread.
The story has a sing song quality and with each visit, she receives another row of jingles and in the end she dances in the powwow in place of her ailing Great Aunt, her busy lawyer cousin Elizabeth, and her beloved Grandma Wolfe:
Inspired by her Grandmother, a Jingle Dancer, Jenna wants to perform the Jingle Dance in the next powwow. But she doesn't have the jingles for her dress. In a story that reads like a nursery rhyme, Jenna goes from house to house, asking relatives and neighbors for jingles to sew into her dress. She lives in what appears to be a middle class suburban community. We learn in the Author's Note that Jenna is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and is of Ojibway (Chippewa/Anishinabe) descent. There are no cultural markers that I could detect in the story that would connect her to these American Indian Nations specifically, except for one mention of a Muscogee Creek story about a bat. Lietich explains that many tribes perform the Jingle Dance. However, the illustrations contain several cultural markers that connect the story to the Native American culture, for example, woven baskets, a dreamcatcher, and fry bread.
The story has a sing song quality and with each visit, she receives another row of jingles and in the end she dances in the powwow in place of her ailing Great Aunt, her busy lawyer cousin Elizabeth, and her beloved Grandma Wolfe:
"Brum, brum,brum sounded the drum at the powwow the next weekend. As light blurred silver, Jenna jingle danced...for Great-aunt Sis, whose legs ached...for Mrs. Scott, who sold fry bread...for Elizabeth, who worked on her big case, and for Grandma Wolfe, who warmed like the sun."The story's focus is on Jenna and her family, more than the tradition of the Jingle Dance. An emphasis is made on her aunt's occupation, her neighbor's brand new duplex, and her middle class neighborhood. These details seemed very intentional and are perhaps irrelevant to the story line. However, they provide a very positive, loving example of a Native American family and community.
4. REVIEWS
Publisher's Weekly:"Smith, a mixed-blood member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, convincingly juxtaposes cherished Native American tradition and contemporary lifestyle in this smooth debut."
School Library Journal:"This picture book will not only satisfy a need for materials on Native American customs, but will also be a welcome addition to stories about traditions passed down by the women of a culture."
5. CONNECTIONS
Pair this book with POWWOW by George Ancona and a book by Joseph Bruchac entitled, THE GREAT BALL GAME: A MUSKOGEE STORY.
Show children on a map the area of Oklahoma where Jenna lives. Introduce children to the culture of the Muscogee Indians through non-fiction books.
Publisher's Weekly:"Smith, a mixed-blood member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, convincingly juxtaposes cherished Native American tradition and contemporary lifestyle in this smooth debut."
School Library Journal:"This picture book will not only satisfy a need for materials on Native American customs, but will also be a welcome addition to stories about traditions passed down by the women of a culture."
5. CONNECTIONS
Pair this book with POWWOW by George Ancona and a book by Joseph Bruchac entitled, THE GREAT BALL GAME: A MUSKOGEE STORY.
Show children on a map the area of Oklahoma where Jenna lives. Introduce children to the culture of the Muscogee Indians through non-fiction books.
A NOVEL BY MICHAEL DORRIS
Morning Girl. Scott O'Dell Award Winner
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Dorris, Michael. 1992. MORNING GIRL. New York: Hyperion Books. ISBN:1562822845.
Dorris, Michael. 1992. MORNING GIRL. New York: Hyperion Books. ISBN:1562822845.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Narrated alternately by two siblings, Morning Girl and Star Boy, and set in 1492 in a Bahamian Island, this novel is based on an entry in Christopher Columbus' journal.
Narrated alternately by two siblings, Morning Girl and Star Boy, and set in 1492 in a Bahamian Island, this novel is based on an entry in Christopher Columbus' journal.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In first person narrative the story of a family and a community is revealed from the point of view of two children, Morning Girl and Star Boy. Michael Dorris creates a portrait of family and community life on a Caribbean Island in the 15th century, around the time of the arrival of Columbus. Island life seems idyllic and simple. Morning Girl's parents are loving and affectionate. They instill in them a respect for their ancestors that comes to Star Boy's aid during a hurricane: "It's all right, Star Boy," came a gnarled voice, coiled as the twist of knotted wood. "Stay with us, and you will be safe." It was m grandfather, high above me." The sibling relationship is typical of most sibling relationships, with the quarreling and competitiveness. Their lives are integrated into the natural world. After the hurricane, they are grateful that gathering of food will take little effort: "How easy it was, that first long day, to gather what we needed. The palms were already spread on the ground, perfect for thatch.Coconuts lay where they had fallen, and even, in some unexpected places-large puddles or places where the ponds had spilled over their banks-silver fish carried from the sea could amazingly be found."
Star Girl says, "If something isn't too much or too little, I don't pay attention. When Father repairs the holes in his fishnet after the evening meal, I watch without really seeing him. He's doing what he's supposed to do-his eyes alert for a ripped square, his fingers finding and tying, his voice to Mother too low except for her ears. Or, in midday when it's just Mother and me inside, her humming or telling me about when she was a girl my age while she pounds roots for dinner, the world fits together so tightly, the pieces like pebbles and shells sunk into the sand after the tide has gone out, before anyone has walked on the beach and left footprints."
Dorris ends the book with a journal entry by Columbus describing his impressions of the people on the island:""They are very well formed, with handsome bodies and good faces...They don not carry arms nor are they acquainted with them, because I showed them swords and they took them by the edge and through ignorance cut themselves...They should be good and intelligent servants..."
Dorris creates a thorough portrait of the people through revealing their thoughts and conversations. Columbus' perspective read independently of the novel would be startling , but after "knowing" these people that Dorris creates, the journal entry left this reader horrified.
In first person narrative the story of a family and a community is revealed from the point of view of two children, Morning Girl and Star Boy. Michael Dorris creates a portrait of family and community life on a Caribbean Island in the 15th century, around the time of the arrival of Columbus. Island life seems idyllic and simple. Morning Girl's parents are loving and affectionate. They instill in them a respect for their ancestors that comes to Star Boy's aid during a hurricane: "It's all right, Star Boy," came a gnarled voice, coiled as the twist of knotted wood. "Stay with us, and you will be safe." It was m grandfather, high above me." The sibling relationship is typical of most sibling relationships, with the quarreling and competitiveness. Their lives are integrated into the natural world. After the hurricane, they are grateful that gathering of food will take little effort: "How easy it was, that first long day, to gather what we needed. The palms were already spread on the ground, perfect for thatch.Coconuts lay where they had fallen, and even, in some unexpected places-large puddles or places where the ponds had spilled over their banks-silver fish carried from the sea could amazingly be found."
Star Girl says, "If something isn't too much or too little, I don't pay attention. When Father repairs the holes in his fishnet after the evening meal, I watch without really seeing him. He's doing what he's supposed to do-his eyes alert for a ripped square, his fingers finding and tying, his voice to Mother too low except for her ears. Or, in midday when it's just Mother and me inside, her humming or telling me about when she was a girl my age while she pounds roots for dinner, the world fits together so tightly, the pieces like pebbles and shells sunk into the sand after the tide has gone out, before anyone has walked on the beach and left footprints."
Dorris ends the book with a journal entry by Columbus describing his impressions of the people on the island:""They are very well formed, with handsome bodies and good faces...They don not carry arms nor are they acquainted with them, because I showed them swords and they took them by the edge and through ignorance cut themselves...They should be good and intelligent servants..."
Dorris creates a thorough portrait of the people through revealing their thoughts and conversations. Columbus' perspective read independently of the novel would be startling , but after "knowing" these people that Dorris creates, the journal entry left this reader horrified.
4. REVIEWS
School Library Journal: " Dorris has written a reverberating story of coming-of-age, both for the two characters and for the world."
5. CONNECTIONS
Pair with the non-fiction book, THE TAINOS: THE PEOPLE WHO WELCOMED COLUMBUS, by
Francine Jacobs.
School Library Journal: " Dorris has written a reverberating story of coming-of-age, both for the two characters and for the world."
5. CONNECTIONS
Pair with the non-fiction book, THE TAINOS: THE PEOPLE WHO WELCOMED COLUMBUS, by
Francine Jacobs.
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