Is My Friend at Home? : Pueblo Fireside Tales - Hardcover

John Bierhorst is a distinguished editor and translator of American Indian literature whose previous books include Doctor Coyote: A Native American Aesop's Fables. He lives in West Shokan, New York.

Wendy Watson is the author and/or illustrator of many books for children. She lives in Brattleboro, Vermont.

K-Gr 3-Readers are invited to join by the fireside in the Native American tradition and enjoy this collection of pourquoi/trickster tales from the Hopi culture. These brief and relatively benevolent stories are enacted by anthropomorphized wildlife indigenous to the Southwest. Seven tellings relate the reasons why certain aspects of the natural world exist as they do. The audience learns how Coyote came to have short ears, why Mouse walks softly, and how Bee learned to fly. Although the harsh realities of survival are somewhat minimized by the playful chicanery of some of the episodes, most of the narratives convey important truths about coexistence, cooperation, and making good choices. Watson's child-centered, humorous illustrations enliven the text and lend a great deal of personality to these archetypal characters from Native American folklore. These compact stories would work well with primary-grade children who are just being introduced to the world of folklore. Source notes are included for those wishing to further explore Native American storytelling.

Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA

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