Seasons

Christmas with a Lakota trick!

A traditional Native American character gets a modern update in this charming Christmas tale.

On Christmas Eve, Coyote wants to find some people to trick out of a hot meal. Sneaky Coyote is known in the Native American tradition as the Trickster. He knows that there's one character people can't refuse on Christmas Eve: Santa Claus! Using straw for a jolly belly and wool for his Santa's beard, the Trickster fools a family into welcoming him to their Christmas meal. But just when he thinks he's gotten away with his ruse, taking their food and leaving the family with nothing, he's foiled by a strange occurrence. Could it be a Christmas miracle?

Coyote's antics, beautifully told and illustrated by S. D. Nelson, will delight readers, and his eventual comeuppance just in time for Christmas makes this a perfect holiday tale.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 9

Additional Information
40 pages | 9.50" x 10.50"

On a fresh spring day, young Yetsa, her mother and her grand-mother gather to prepare the sheep fleeces piled in Grandma's yard. As they clean, wash and dry the fleece, laughter and hard work connect the three generations. The reader joins this family in an old, but vibrant tradition: the creation of a Cowichan sweater.

Additional Information

This gentle story demonstrates the First Nations' tradition of taking care of Mother Earth.

Tess has visited her grandmother many times without really being aware of the garden. But today when they step out the door, Tess learns that all of nature can be a garden. And if you take care of the plants that are growing, if you learn about them - understanding when they flower, when they give fruit, and when to leave them alone - you will always find something to nourish you. 

At the end of the day, Tess is grateful to Mother Earth for having such a lovely garden, and she is thankful for having such a wise grandma.

Elaine McLeod's poetic text and Colleen Wood's gentle watercolors combine to make Lessons from Mother Earth a celebration of nature and life.

Educator Information
Curriculum Connections: Social Studies, Science and Nature.

Additional Information
24 pages | 8.80" x 8.80"

A young boy and his grandfather set out in a birchbark canoe early one spring morning. Under the patient and gentle guidance of his grandfather, the boy gradually comes to respect the ways of nature and to understand his own place in the world.

In the first of three linked stories, a young boy and his grandfather set out in a birchbark canoe early one spring morning. Together, they discover the peaceful beauty of the lake. In the second story, the sun rises high in the summer sky as they climb a rocky cliff for a bird's-eye view of the land. And, finally, as an autumn night descends, they venture into the woods. Under the patient and gentle guidance of his grandfather, the boy gradually comes to respect the ways of nature and to understand his own place in the world.

Reviews
"Filled with lessons of love and respect for Mother Earth, this book is packed with many Ojibway cultural references for young readers. Noshen and his grandfather, Mishomis, set off in a birchbark canoe, climb a mountain and stand off a pack of wolves - all in one day. Noshen learns that he is brother to the wolves and need not be afraid of any animal he meets in the woods. Karen Reczuch's illustrations of many culturally-relevant objects like beadwork designs and Mishomis' moccasins make this book something to be treasured." —Aboriginal Voices

"From the first words of Morning on the Lake, it's evident the author has an abundance of love and respect for the force of nature in all its magnificence. And, as we follow the young native protagonist and his grandfather, the call of the wild sounds ever more clear. Early one morning, the boy and his grandfather set off in their canoe and are rewarded with a rare glimpse of a family of loons. Later that day, they climb to the top of a hill and have an encounter with a bald eagle. And in the still night, the boy comes face to face with a pack of wolves. In this boy's traditional world, nature is given very human qualities which can set the heart a-thumping as well as soothe the spirit. Karen Reczuch's tranquil illustrations lovingly portray the relationship between man and his surroundings." —Children's Book News

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 5 to 9.

Additional Information
32 pages | 10.00" x 9.00"

To many Native Americans, the 13 cycles of the moon represent the changing seasons and the passage of time. Each moon has its own special name that, while varying among the tribal nations, is consistent with the legend that the 13 scales on Old Turtle's back hold the key to these moons. The authors present 13 poems that take readers through the year, from the "Moon of Popping Trees"--when the "cottonwoods crack with frost"--to the "Big Moon" of the Abenakis. The book's effective design consists of verses in vertical columns at the left of each spread, with the remainder occupied by Locker's ( Family Farm ; Catskill Eagle ) typically lush artwork. His oil paintings are eye-catching in their depth of color reflecting dramatic seasonal changes. Trees, skies and woodland creatures are rendered in vivid hues that combine to produce an enthralling vision. This unusual and intelligent book is an exemplary introduction to Native American culture with its emphasis on the importance of nature.

Additional Infromation
32 pages | 8.00" x 10.25"

From the highly acclaimed team of Byrd Baylor and Peter Parnall comes the story of a girl who shares her love for desert life as she tells of treasured experiences like dancing in the wind on Dust Devil Day or sleeping outside on a hot summer night during The Time of the Falling Stars. Baylor's radiant prose-poem and Parnall's exquisite illustrations combine to create a joyous celebration of the human spirit.

Reviews
"With a text by Byrd Baylor and pictures by Peter Parnall, this delightful book will inspire you to create your own holidays. "Last year I gave myself one hundred and eight celebrations — besides the ones that they close school for," announces a young girl. She lives in the desert and just laughs when people suggest that she might get lonely. How could she get lonely when there are so many things around her that catch her attention and fill her with wonder?" - Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality Practice

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.00" x 10.00"

The lights of the night, especially the stars and the moon, have captivated Native American peoples across North America and elsewhere for centuries. Joseph Bruchac, an Abenaki storyteller, has collected in this companion volume to Thirteen Moon's on Turtle's Back a series of stories what these celestial bodies mean to diverse Native American cultures; he then retells them in lyric poetry. Included are "Sky Bear" of the Mohawk, "Song to the Firefly" of the Anishinabe, "Flute Song" of the Pima (which evokes the myths of Kokopeli), "The Northern Lights" of the Missisquoi, "Mother's Bragging Song" of the Winnebago, "The Scattered Stars" of the Cochiti Pueblo, "The Seven Mateinnu" of the Lenape, "The Tale of Pinon Gatherers" of the Chumash, "A Summer Song" of the Inuit, "The Old Wolf's Song" of the Lakota, "Dawn House Song" of the Navajo, and "Spirit Dance Song" of the Pawnee. Mr. Bruchac, in an Author's Note at the end of the volume, explains what these stories mean to all Native American peoples, children and adults alike. He reveals that the constellation we know as the Big Dipper (the Drinking Gourd in African-American folklore) is also seen as a great bear, the Sky Bear of his poetry, something many of us all too often take for granted.

Under a blanket of stars, Warren has a dream about an unending winter, with animals teaming up to search for the lost bag of summer. Just as in the Anishinaabe and Ininew legend, Fisher, a brave hunter, is chosen to bring the bag of summer back to their home. But will he find the bag in time, or will the summer animals ruin his plans to bring warmth to the northern lands?

Educator Information
Grades 4 and under.