An introduction to Native American folklore – illustrated by the author
The Flute Player
Intermediate (ages 9-14)
Material appropriate for intermediate age groups
The Mouse Couple
A mouse couple, in search of the mightiest husband for their daughter, approach the sun, the clouds, the wind, and a butte, before the unexpected victor finally appears.
Rattlesnake Mesa: Stories from a Native American Childhood
Chronicles the childhood of EdNah New Rider Weber as she is moved from her Pawnee home to live with her father on a Navajo reservation and then is again uprooted and placed in the Phoenix Indian School.
The Magic Hummingbird: A Hopi Folktale
Malotki & Lacapa, who previously collaborated on THE MOUSE COUPLE, bring this magical HOPI FOLKTALE to life, telling how two children left behind in the drought stricken village of Oraibi, through their creativity & playfulness, influence Muy’ingwa, the god of fertility, to return the land to fruitfulness. EKKEHART MALOTKI, professor of languages at Northern Arizona University, has spent many years working on the preservation of the Hopi language & culture. MICHAEL LACAPA has previously illustrated four children’s books, three of which he also authored. Of APACHE, HOPI & TEWA descent, he has gained inspiration from traditional storytellers & the traditional designs & patterns found in SOUTHWEST basketry & pottery. His illustrations for THE MAGIC HUMMINGBIRD convey the range of experience typical of life in the Hopi mesas, from the dullness of the parched earth to the brilliance of the multicolored corn & the magical hummingbird who delivers the children’s prayers for renewal. THE MAGIC HUMMINGBIRD $15.95 (cloth) plus $3,00 s/h. Order from Kiva Publishing, 102 E. Water St., Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505/820-7413).
Songs of Shiprock Fair
A young Navajo girl enjoys every part of the annual Shiprock Fair, including the dances, parade, carnival, exhibits, contests, food, and the chance to visit with relatives.
Meet Mindy
Details a day in the life of an Arizona girl of Hopi descent, looking at her family, the history of her tribe, and some traditional ceremonies and customs that are still observed today.
Apache Rodeo
Felicita leads a modern life but also participates in traditional tribal customs.
The Gift Of Changing Woman
Describes the traditional coming-of-age ceremony for young Apache women, in which they use special dances and prayers to reenact the Apache story of creation and celebrate the power of Changing Woman, the legendary ancestor of their people.
Navajo: Visions and Voices across the Mesa
Collection of twenty poems accompanied by full color paintings of mountains, plateaus, deserts, and wildlife from the American Southwest and of the Native people who live there. Book begins with spiritual elements, moves on to told stories, Begay’s memories, members of the community, and rituals, and ends with hope for an early spring. Throughout there is a sense of striving to balance the old ways and beliefs with the intrusive outer world and to protect the Earth, which is regarded as sacred.
Mayeros: A Yucatec Maya Family
Text and photographs present the life and customs of the descendants of the Maya now living in the Yucatan Peninsula area of Mexico.