Reviews (2)

Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest
This was a fair tale children seemed to follow the story better but did not want to hear this book again and again,I was disappointed.

A great book about a funny coyote!
I like it because when the Coyote meets some birds he wants to fly with, all the birds give him one of their right feathers, but he didn't balance. So they each gave him left feathers, but he still didn't balance.And the reason he didn't balance was because he needed one left feather and oneright feather. - AMD, Age 7. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children: Kindergarten    3. Coyote (Legendary character)    4. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Country/Ethnic-General    5. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Native American    6. Folklore    7. Indians of North America    8. Legends    9. Southwest, New    10. Juvenile Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / Single Title    11. Picture books   

Reviews (14)

Arrow to the Sun : A Pueblo Indian Tale (Picture Puffin)
Children in my classroom didnt enjoy this story but it was worth reading.

Arrow To The Sun By Gerald McDermont

Level 5: Escape the serpents and the room of lightning
I don't think I can judge Gerald McDermott's 1975 Caldecott winning picture book, "Arrow to the Sun" fairly.You see, I am a child of the 80s.I remember the early days of Colico Vision and Atari.I have very clear images in my head of some of the first arcade games, like Q-Bert, Donkey Kong, and Super Mario Brothers.Why do I invoke such images when I'm (supposedly)reviewing "Arrow to the Sun"?Because like these games, "Arrow to the Sun" suffers for its time period.Author/illustrator Gerald McDermott strived very hard to make this story both deeply original and timeless.In many ways, he has succeeded.But if you, like myself, played a single pixilated arcade game in the late 70s or early to mid 80s then you'll take one look at this book and notice its video game aspects.It's a beautiful story.It's just tainted in the eyes of the children of the 80s.
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Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 2-3    4. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Native American    5. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Single Title    6. Indians of North America    7. Legends    8. Pueblo Indians    9. English literature: essays, letters & other non-fiction prose works    10. English literature: literary criticism    11. Juvenile Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / Anthologies   

Editorial Review

Anansi the Spider is a wise, funny, mischievous, and loveable folk hero who pops up in traditional Ashanti tales from Ghana, in West Africa. This story, retold and illustrated by Gerald McDermott, relates the tale of father Anansi and his six spider sons. When Anansi sets out on a dangerous journey and gets into all sorts of trouble, each son does one thing to help, and all their efforts together save their father. He finds a mysterious, beautiful globe of light in the forest, and decides to make it a gift of thanks. But which son should receive the prize? Even with the help of Nyame, the God of All Things, he can't decide, so Nyame takes the great globe up into the sky, and that's where it has stayed ever since--the moon, for all to see. This profound story reaches children of many ages; younger ones see it as an exciting rescue story, but older children are intrigued by the larger themes of cooperation and "the whole being more than its parts." Read more

Reviews (9)

A Popular Book in Our Home - a review of "Anansi the Spider"
Anansi and his sons are popular guys in our home.My son and daughter (nearly 4 and 6) just adore them, and I enjoy the fact that this book demonstrates how well cooperation works.Not to mention that we get to discuss the story, Ghana, and how people are both like us *and* are different from us.
Vibrant, vivid illustration and a wonderful tale
The Anansi stories have been handed down through generations of Ashanti culture. This book is a wonderful, vibrant and vivid story for children of all ages. Born in Ghana I left at aged 3, leaving much of the Ghanaian culture behind. At aged 30 I can still remember a song about Anansi the spider, the only remnants left of my native tongue. I was given the Anansi book as a child, it captivated me, I read it over and over again, and it provided a connection to my past. At 16, I spent hours crafting a cushion embroidered an illustration from the book that was a childhood favorite.Sadly, the book was lost and I never thought I could get it again. Now, some 14 years since I last saw the book I can still visualize the pictures and hear the wonderful tale of Anansi the spider, his sons and the moon. I have just bought two copies, one for my niece and one for my two year old daughter. I absolutely cannot wait to read them again and again and pass this memorable story to a new generation.

Anansi
Anansi is one cool African trickster, and he does it again in this book!When he tries to determine which of his six sons to reward for saving his life, he becomes responsible for putting the moon in the sky. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Anansi (Legendary character)    3. Ashanti (African people)    4. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    5. Children: Grades 2-3    6. Fairy Tales & Folklore - African    7. Folklore    8. Fairy tales, folk tales, fables, magical tales & traditional stories   

Reviews (4)

He is not big.He is not strong.He is fan-freakin-tastic
Is there any higher praise an author/illustrator can receive than to hear a reviewer say, "Well, I never really loved anything else this person did, but I think this book is bloody brilliant"?Probably.But I for one feel that Gerald McDermott (who I've always respected but never felt any real affection for) really hit the nail on the head with this book."Zomo" has the near impossible task of being both amusing and informative.So many African folktales relayed in children's picture books end up being a little dry and dated.For example, the book "Zomo" most resembles in plot is, "A Story, A Story" by G. Haley.Yet that book is a dour dull creation when compared to this amazing little concoction.This is a book that every child should read at least once in their lives. Do you think Zomo the Rabbit is Bugs Bunny's ancestor?
One of the universal figures in mythology is the trickster, from Hermes of classical mythology to Iktomi of the Indians of the American plains.Zomo the Rabbit is an example of an animal trickster and is often at the center of many of the traditional tales of West Africa, while other cultures tell similar stories about the Spider and the Tortoise using guile and trickery to outwit their larger foes. Unique vibrant illustrations
Zomo is a rabbit who is "clever" but wants "wisdom" so goes to SkyGod, who tells him he must do "three impossible things:" bring him "the scales of Big Fish in the sea, "the milk of Wild Cow" and "the tooth of leopard."Zomo tricks the fish into dancing to his drumbeat until his scales fall off, tricks the cow into ramming the palm tree until she's stuck so he can milk her (reminds me of Brer Rabbit and Sis Cow), and then trips the leopard on the slippery scales and milk to get the tooth.Unique, vividly colored illustrations accompany the simple story.I will say I don't quite get the ending where he earns wisdom, and all he does with it is run very fast (wasn't he doing that already?).Overall however, the illustrations and clever rabbit make a great story for my toddler. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa, West    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Fairy Tales & Folklore - African    5. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Country/Ethnic-General    6. Folklore    7. Juvenile Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / Single Title   

Reviews (8)

Raven
Raven the trickser wants to give people the gift of light.
How Raven brought the people of the world the gift of light
One of the recurring figures of myths and legends from around the world is the trickster, known as Zemo the Rabbit in West Africa, Jabuti the Tortoise in the Amazon, and Raven in the Pacific Northwest.Indeed, from the coast of the Pacific Northwest to as far north as Alaska it is Raven who is the central character in many Native American myths and tales as a trickster of a cosmic scale, who might be a mischief-maker but who is also a cultural hero.Both brave and cunning, Raven is a shape-shifter who has magical powers.Sometimes he causes havoc with his mischief, but other times he gives his people gifts like that of fire. glorious, sumptuous and respectful
I get antsy when Native American themes and stories appear in children's books. Too often they reek of cultural misappropriation. Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 2-3    3. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Country/Ethnic-General    4. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Native American    5. Folklore    6. Indians of North America    7. Legends    8. Mcdermott, Gerald    9. Northwest, Pacific    10. Pacific Northwest    11. Preschool Story Books    12. Juvenile Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / Country & Ethnic   

Reviews (3)

GREAT FOLK TALE
This book is super for your Kdgn. or First grade child just learning about folk tales.My son was facinated by the pictures and the story.

My favorite book
This was my favorite book as a child. While moving out of my parent's house a while back, I stumbled across it and re-read it. Whenever I have children of my own, this will be the first thing I read to them.

Our Favorite McDermott Tale
McDermott's Papagayo is our favorite of his spectacular books for the 4-8 year olds (we have them all).His illustrations are brilliant, even suitable for framing.Caution may be in order, however, for youngerchildren or those "afraid of the dark" or "monsters". This mythological tale is a bit spooky--we love it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 1-2    3. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Single Title    4. Fiction    5. Jungles    6. Parrots    7. Juvenile Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / Single Title   

Editorial Review

Another installment in Gerald McDermott's wise and whimsical tricksterseries, Read more

Reviews (2)

Can the Vulture get the better of Jabuti the Tortoise?No.
I have been tracking down trickster tales from around the world and it is always fascinating to see what animals in different cultures are seen as the sources of mischievous pranks."Jabuti the Tortoise: A Trickster Tale from the Amazon" is about the central figure in the tribal lore of the Amazon rain forest.He might have short legs and be slow, but he is portrayed in stories as being virtually invincible because he is so clever he is able to outwit his larger foes.Of course, the tales about Jabuti are really about the follies of human beings. Marvelous artwork enhances this trickster tale
"Jabuti the Tortoise: A Trickster Tale from the Amazon" is told and illustrated by Gerald McDermott. It opens with the title character playing his flute. Jabuti wants to play his instrument at a festival for the King of Heaven, but another creature's jealousy leads to conflict.Read more

Subjects:  1. Amazon River Region    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Native American    5. Fairy Tales & Folklore - South American    6. Folklore    7. General    8. Indians of South America    9. Juvenile Fiction    10. Tales    11. Turtles    12. Juvenile Fiction / Legends, Myths, Fables / General   

Subjects:  1. Children's All Ages    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 2-3    4. Children: Kindergarten    5. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Native American    6. Folklore    7. General    8. Indians of North America    9. Juvenile Fiction    10. Legends, Myths, & Fables - Other    11. People & Places - United States - Native American    12. Pueblo Indians    13. Juvenile Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / Single Title   

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8    2. Children: Preschool    3. Congo (Democratic Republic)    4. Fairy Tales & Folklore - African    5. Folklore    6. Mcdermott, Gerald    7. Preschool Folk Tales    8. Zaire   

Reviews (2)

beautiful book
This is a beautiful book.I borrowed it from my local library to use as part of a unit on Aztecs I was making (I'm an education major), and after I read it I immediately wanted my own copy!I especially appreciated the background information the author gave at the end of the book, explaining a bit about the history of the story and how the illustrations were done.

A captivating retelling of an Aztec myth with incredible art
I pulled this book off the shelf at the library when browsing with my fouryear old. The book is oversized with beautiful artwork on the cover. My sonended up loving it more than I did. He was enthralled with the story andthe pictures. He wanted it read over and over again until he could tell thestory himself. This book is a treasure and a must-have for our ownbookshelves. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aztec mythology    2. Aztecs    3. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    4. Children: Kindergarten    5. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Country/Ethnic-General    6. Folklore    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Juvenile literature    9. Legends, Myths, & Fables - Other    10. Mexico    11. Tales    12. Juvenile Fiction / Legends, Myths, Fables / General   

Reviews (5)

Amazing
Put aside for a moment any cultural baggage and simply see this book for what it is; a beautiful combination of a simple yet affecting text and intense, nearly abstract combinations of color and form. My 18 month old daughter picks up this book again and again just to be absorbed by the imagery. Highly recommended.

Garbage
Wake up folks. The jury is in. Evolution is a scientific fact supported by reams and reams and years and years of observable and proven research. Guess what? The world isn't flat. The sun does not revolve around the earth. And the universe, earth and the life on it were not "created" in six days a few thousand years ago. Life has evolved over billions of years from simpler forms. It's done. Accept it. Facts are facts. We can observe evolution occurring in insect and microbe populations. That's not theory. That's observable fact. Where do you think new flu strains and antibiotic-resistant bacteria come from? The creation story in the bible is based on fables handed down by superstitious Middle-Eastern nomadic tribes thousands of years ago who could not have had any idea of scientific concepts. All primitive cultures have creation myths.Fine: with their limited knowledge they just didn't know any better.But our culture and knowledge isn't primitive anymore.We have no such excuse to propagate ignorance in the world in which we now live. Get over it. Evolution is a proven fact. What - do you think all the thousands of scientists in the hundreds of research institutions over the past 150 years have been just sitting around in their offices, staring at the walls, making this stuff up? And how is it that atomic research, geology, biochemistry and all the other scientific means and discoveries that have come about since the 1800's - which Darwin could not have known about - all support his concepts?Do we know everything about the evolutionary process at this point?No.There's lots more to learn.So what? Just because we don't have all the blanks filled in does not mean the whole concept is incorrect.We don't have all the blanks filled in on other subjects as well, such as subatomic physics.Does that mean atoms don't exist?Of course not.And even if you could somehow disprove that evolution has occurred (and is occurring) that still doesn't mean one particular religious version of "creation" is any more correct than any other one.Those who want so-called "creationism" or "intelligent design" taught in schools should be ashamed of themselves for encouraging the teaching of ignorance to children. By the way, I am a Christian. (Yes, it is possible to be a Christian and not be an ignoramus).
for older children
I bought this to put in my sunday school class but the concept of God the spirit is a more advanced than my 4 year olds understand. I suggest this one for older 5's or 6's. The pictures are fabulous! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Nonfiction    2. Children: Kindergarten    3. Creation    4. Juvenile Nonfiction    5. Juvenile Religious Literature    6. Juvenile literature    7. Juvenile materials    8. Mcdermott, Gerald    9. Religion - Bible - Stories    10. Juvenile Fiction / Religious / Christian   

Reviews (2)

Simple and elegant
I love everything about this picture book.It is just the right length for reading aloud without losing a toddler's attention, the illustrations are strikingly abstract, and the moral is profound -- don't keep trying to be something you're not.I can't believe it's out of print -- please, oh mighty Publishers-Who-Read-Amazon Reviews, bring this one back, for the good of the little ones and the parents who read to them!

Classroom Help
This book has been great to use in my third grade classroom. It has tied in to our Japan unit very well and has been greatly enjoyed by my third graders. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 1-2    3. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Asian    4. Folklore    5. Japan    6. Juvenile Fiction / Social Situations / Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance   

Reviews (4)

Happy St. Paddy's to our 4 year-old and 2 year -old grandkids!
With so many long-time traditional holidays being pushed to the wayside to be replaced by those more currently popular and politically correct, we are always looking for ways to celebrate and anchor traditions with our grandchildren. To help our pre-school grandbabies get a little more anchored with their Irish heritage, we thought they were old enough this year to be introduced to the connections of this special cultural holiday. "Tim O'Toole and the Wee Folk" was just the answer. Woven within the adventure of this tale of the very Irish Tim O'Toole are subtle but effective lessons about the benefits the moral values we hold dear, the outcome of choices made, and no small amount of fun, courtesy of the fanciful Wee Folk. To include in the package with this book and a strip of four-leaf clover stickers and green T-shirts, we also purchased from Amazon the "RiverDance" CD. We hear our grandkids were delighted with the whimsy of our gift and asked for the story of Tim O'Toole to be read twice before bed on March 17. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Gift
This was a gift to a young child who has enjoyed having it read to him and will undoubtedly read it himself when he learns to read!

LeapingLephrucauns
TimO'Tooleis afantasytaleaboutapoormanwhogoestofindworkinthetown.WhenTimtakesaresthe discoversafestivegroupofweefolk.TimbeingawisefellowindeedhethreatenstheweefolkRead more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 1-2    3. Fairy Tales & Folklore - European    4. Fairy tales    5. Fiction    6. Ireland    7. Juvenile Fiction / Legends, Myths, Fables / Other   

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 1-2    3. Juvenile Easy Readers    4. Juvenile Fiction    5. Legends, Myths, & Fables - General    6. Mcdermott, Gerald    7. Preschool Reading Skills    8. Readers - Beginner    9. Juvenile Fiction / Readers / Beginner   

Reviews (1)

It's just okay
ThemeRead more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Fiction - General    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 2-3    4. Folklore    5. Folklore & Mythology    6. General    7. Ireland    8. Juvenile Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / Anthologies   

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Children: Preschool    3. Color    4. Fiction    5. Mayer, Marianna    6. Pandas    7. Preschool Concepts   

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Animals - General    3. Children's Baby - Picturebooks    4. Children: Preschool    5. Concepts - Counting    6. Concepts - Counting & Numbers    7. Counting    8. Juvenile literature    9. Preschool Mathematics Skills   

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Coyote (Legendary character)    4. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Country/Ethnic-General    5. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Native American    6. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Single Title    7. Folklore    8. Indians of North America    9. Southwest, New    10. Spanish language materials    11. Juvenile Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / Single Title   

Reviews (1)

Great book!
Great book and finely translated into Spanish.I get to share it with my Spanish speakers now without loss of comprehension. It's appreciated. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Country/Ethnic-General    3. Fairy Tales & Folklore - General    4. Juvenile Fiction    5. Spanish: Kindergarten    6. Juvenile Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / Single Title   

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    2. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Native American    3. Spanish: Kindergarten    4. Juvenile Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / Anthologies