Global Story Box Book Synopses

American Indians of the Southwest Global Story Box Synopsis

BabySenses   Baby Learns About Sense.  Ruffenach, Jessie (2005). Translated by Thomas,  Peter. Illustrated by Blacksheep, Beverly. Flagstaff, AZ: Salina Bookshelf.  ISBN: 9781893354470. A Navajo baby learns to count to ten in English and in the Navajo language.

Big Moon Tortilla. Cowley, Joy. Ill. Dyanne Strongbow. Boyds Mills Press, 2002. ISBN 159078037X.
Tohono O’odham. When Marta ruins her homework and breaks her glasses, Grandmother soothes her with an ancient story and one of her delicious tortillas.

Children of Clay: A Family of Pueblo Potters. Swentzell, Rina. Ill. Bill Steen. First Avenue Editions, 1993. ISBN 082259627X.
Tewa Indians, Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico. Members of a Tewa Indian family living in Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico follow the ages-old traditions of their people as they create various objects of clay.

Coyote and the Sky: How the Sun, Moon, and Stars Began. Garcia, Emmett. Ill. Victoria Pringle. University of New Mexico Press, 2006. ISBN 0826337309.
Tamaya Pueblo. A retelling of the Santa Ana Pueblo traditional story in which the Squirrel, the Rabbit, and the Badger are allowed by the animals’ spirit Leader to climb from their homes in the Third World to the Fourth World, while the Coyote must stay in the Third World.

SheepDibé Yázhí Táago Baa Hane/The Three Little Sheep. Yazzie, Seraphine (2006). Translated by Peter Thomas. Illustrated by Smith, Ryan Huna. Flagstaff, AZ: Salina Bookshelf. ISBN: 9781893354098.
Navajo. A Navajo story written in both English and Navajo about three little sheep who set out on their own, unaware that they are being followed by a hungry coyote.  A “Three Little Pigs” variant.

BringerofDawnJóhonaa’éí: Bringer of Dawn. Tsinajinnie, Veronica. Translated by Peter Thomas (2007). Illustrated by Singer, Ryan. Flagstaff, AZ: Salina Bookshelf. ISBN: 9781893354548.
Navajo. As Johonaa’ei, the sun, slowly rises, its gentle light and warmth wake the inhabitants of the desert, including a burrow of rabbits.  Written in Navajo and English.

Ma’ii and Cousin Horned Toad: A Traditional Navajo Story. Begay, Shonto. Scholastic, 1992. ISBN 0590453904.
A retelling of a traditional Navajo tale introduces young readers to Ma’ii, the coyote known to the Navajo as a mischief maker, and his wise counterpart, the Horned Toad. Coyote loves to eat and will do almost anything for a free lunch.

UntitledNavajo ABC/A Diné Alphabet Book. Tapahonso, Luci & Schick, Eleanor (1995).  Illustrated by Schick Eleanor. NT: Simon and Schuster. ISBN: 9780689803161.
Various objects and words associated with the Navajo people are used to introduce their alphabet and the English alphabet.

Sing Down the Rain. Moreillon, Judi. Ill. Michael Chiago. Kiva Publishing, 1997. ISBN 1885772076.
Tohono O’odham. The author and illustrator capture the rhythms of the desert and the spirit of the Tohono O’odham people in a poem about the saguaro harvest celebration.

4 thoughts on “Global Story Box Book Synopses

  1. Shalom Rockwell says:

    I would love to check out the American Indians of the Southwest Global Story Box Synopsis. I am a teacher at Lineweaver Elementary school.

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