Terri CohleneCritiques

Little Firefly's story reminds me of Cinderella. A young Indian girl who is basically the maid (and bud of jokes) by her older sister is picked to be the bride of "The Invisible One." Great story for young kids, like an Indian Cinderella which is totally awesome!

Summary:
This Navajo legend tells the tale of how elders took the journey to bring horses unto the native land. A Navajo Boy collects gifts from spirits and under the guidance of his mother, and an appearance from his father, manages to help raise horses to help the Navajo.

Personal Reaction:
Being Native American, I loved this book and the legend behind it. I was reminded of how my grandfather told me legends and raised my cousins and I to be proud of the old stories.

Classroom Extension:
Maybe ask if the kids had any family stories of their own, or if they could bring back any legends from home to share with everyone.

Summary: Was a story about a young Navajo boy who wanted to make life easier for his people. He had asked his mother, the talking Gods of the East, West, North and South, and the Mirage Man.

Personal Reflection: It tells a story that doesn't always have an easy answer to what seems to be an easy question. Life is tough and sometimes, there is no easy solution to a problem.

Classroom Extension:
1. Teach problem solving, finding solutions or courses of action to fix a problem or to make something better.
2. Use to learn about how different cultures live and what their daily lives are like.

The little girl in this story name is Mikelle ,she is a good child she helped her dad to do something. She made her dad a present in father's day, and she was surprised when she received the present form her dad, they were happy.
Age group 3-5
Pierce country library

This is a book about an Eskimo who has always been lazy but then in the end becomes a champion. He saves his people from hunger, bad luck, and disasters. There is a huge tie to mythology in this book because in the end the reader finds out Ka-ha-si is known as the "strong one". I thought that was interesting. I also liked how this multicultural text as about an Eskimo, because to be completely honest this was the first book I've ever read about one and I think it is very important for me to try my very best to touch on every culture possible in my classroom, so I will keep this book in mind when building my library. I also liked the details in illustrations of the Eskimo's clothing. The main idea of this book is to never underestimate the ability of someone.

Summary:
The sun is burning up the land and dancing drum is turned into a snake to kill the sun. He bite the daughter instead of Grandmother Sun. Facing many challenges of not obeying floods, drought they have to go into different lands and get that particular entity to shine or to flourish or stop. After they figured out away to make the land
and world happy she smiled down on them as they danced and sang.
Personal Reaction:
I thought the sun would cause a great drought. Next, I thought the rain would flood the people and cause a wash out of people be brought to their ruin. The story ends in a different manner than I expected.
Extension Ideas:
1. Global warming
2. Farming and cultivating

This book is about a Native American girl whose dreams tell her and guide her to make things and go places. She ends up becoming the sister of seven brothers and they fight off bulls so that the bulls will not take the girl. They end up so high in the sky they can not get down and form the big dipper at night. This is a great cultural book for students so they can learn some of the Native American stories. This book is a little bit longer and has some great vocabulary so it would be suitable for grades 2-4.

A little child could not wait to get her chores done because her grandfather has a surprise for her. She was having fun with her grandfather, she loved her surprise from grandpa.
Source: Pierce Library
Age:3-6

Little Firefly is forced to do all the work in her wigwam, in this retelling of an Algonquian tale, as her father is often away hunting, and her two older sisters - who cruelly nickname her "Little Burnt One" - refuse to do any cooking or cleaning. Scarred as a result of her time in front of the fire, Little Firefly has no hopes (unlike her sisters) of winning the great warrior, The Invisible One - who lives, together with his sister, across the lake from their village - as a husband. But when she rows across to offer herself as a servant, having grown tired of her mistreatment at home, and is able to see The Invisible One, with his rainbow bowstring, and his hunting strap made from the Milky Way, it turns out she is the one destined to be his wife...

This Algonquian variant of the widespread "Cinderella" story (the 'persecuted heroine' tale type, in the Aarne-Thompson folklore classification system), had also been retold by Rafe Martin as The Rough-Face Girl, and by Robert D. San Souci as Sootface. I cannot compare it to these other retellings, as I have not (yet!) read them, but I can say that this version, Little Firefly irritated me greatly! The fourth entry in the Native American Legends series that I have read by Terri Cohlene, it is the first to which I have given a one-star rating, although my estimation of the series, as a whole, has declined with each book read (I gave three stars to the first one I read, Clamshell Boy: A Makah Legend, and two stars each to Turquoise Boy: A Navajo Legend and Dancing Drum: A Cherokee Legend).

It's not simply that, as with her previous titles, Cohlene neglected to provide any source material for this story, although that certainly irritates me, and - in conjunction with other critiques of some of the books in this series - makes me wonder about issues of authenticity. This title also contained some grossly misleading information, in the factual afterword about the Algonquian people. Bad enough that all of the Iroquois nations were included in a confusing way in Cohlene's map of the Algonquian tribes (Um... hello? Linguistically the Iroquois nations are related to the Cherokee, who constitute the southern branch of the Iroquoian language family; historically, they were enemies of the Algonquian peoples), but Cohlene also includes a reference to the Battle of Wounded Knee in her timeline!

No, Terri Cohlene, the horrific massacre that occurred at Wounded Knee was not a 'battle,' and any slack I was going to cut you, because the aforementioned map may not have been deliberately confusing (there is a subtle distinction made between the Algonquian and Iroquoian names, one being in bold, and slightly larger - a distinction that will probably fly over most young readers' heads), went right out the door when I saw that. Just... no. No, no, no! No, this book is NOT recommended.

One of Terri Cohlene's six contributions to the larger Native American Legends series - I have also read her Clamshell Boy: A Makah Legend and Dancing Drum: A Cherokee Legend - this book sets out the traditional Navajo tale (so I assume - see below for more details) of Turquoise Boy, one of Changing Woman's two sons, who goes on a quest to find a way to make life easier for the People. Seeking aid from the Talking Gods of the White Shell Mountain of the East, the Turquoise Mountain of the South, the Yellow Abalone Shell Mountain of the West, and the Black Jet Mountain of the North, Turquoise Boy finds himself the recipient of many gifts, but no answers to his question. Even his father, the Sun Bearer, seems unable to help him. Then Turquoise Boy happens upon Mirage Man, and with his gifts - and his mother's help - he brings a wonderful new helper into the world for the People: the horse.

Unfortunately, as with Cohlene's other folkloric retellings, I couldn't find any mention of source material in Turquoise Boy, although there is an entire page for photo credits, at the rear. A list of further reading ideas - both factual and folkloric - and a discussion of where the author found her stories (a Native storyteller? a written collection of tales?) would add a great deal to the books in this series, and the absence of such material really made me wonder. I'd like to take it on trust that this is an authentic retelling, rather than a derivative and exploitative rip-off, but given the poor track record, when it comes to the presentation of Native American material in children's books, I feel rather skeptical. As mentioned above, this is my third Cohlene title, which means I have three yet to read (I currently have all six checked out of the library) - so we'll see whether the others have the same problem.

Grandmother Sun becomes angry with the People of the Mountain in this Cherokee folktale, believing that they prefer her brother, the Moon. The unrelenting heat and light that she directs at the earth, in consequence, cause such suffering amongst the People, that a young boy named Dancing Drum sets out for the Land of the Sky People, determined to put an end to it. His efforts backfire, however, when his attack (in snake form) inadvertently targets the Sun's daughter, rather than the Sun herself. Now, with the Sun in mourning for her slain daughter, and refusing to leave her dwelling, the People suffer from the cold. Can Dancing Drum set things right, by retrieving the Sun's daughter from the Land of the Spirits...?

I had mixed feelings about this folkloric adaptation - the second title by Terri Cohlene, following upon Clamshell Boy: A Makah Legend, that I have read - and am starting to feel a little dubious about the series, Native American Legends, in general. As with the other books in the series, the tale itself is followed by a factual introduction to the people from which it comes (the Cherokee, in this case). I was happy to see that, unlike Clamshell Boy, this one included a section on the people of today, rather than consigning them entirely to history (as is so commonly done with Native Americans, in children's books).

Unfortunately, Cohlene provided no source material for her story, and after reading a scathing review of another entry in the series (Sunflower's Promise: A Zuni Legend, admittedly by a different author) which appears to have factually incorrect information in the afterword, and a distorted telling of the tale itself, I'd really like to know where Cohlene got her version of this tale. Also, I was rather irritated at the continued use of the word 'shaman' in the story, to describe the Cherokee elder who advises Dancing Drum, as I know it is a problematic term, in this context, and offensive to many Native Americans. I do intend to read the rest of Cohlene's folkloric retellings (she penned six altogether), but my skepticism as to their authenticity is growing with each title.

This lovely story tells tale about father and daughter relationship. They go about there day working together and having fun while doing it.
Source: South Hill Library
Ages: 4-5

A seemingly lazy young man named Ka-Ha-Si turns out to have hidden depths, and a heroic purpose, in this folktale from the Eskimo (Inuit? Yupik?) people of the far north. Sleeping his days away, Ka-Ha-Si arouses the ire of his fellow villagers, who are unaware that he is secretly being trained in strength by a Loon, or that he is the grandson of He-Who-Holds-Up-the-Earth. Emerging from his slumber three times to save his village - once during a time of hunger, when he leads the hunters to a herd of walruses; once in a wrestling match with a giant, when he defeats his rival and upholds the village honor; and once when the village is threatened by moving mountains - he eventually takes his grandfather's place holding the world up.

The fifth of Terri Cohlene's six folkloric adaptations that I have read, all part of the Native American Legends series - the others include: Clamshell Boy, Dancing Drum, Turquoise Boy, and Little Firefly - this title was moderately enjoyable, and didn't irritate me quite as much as some of her others, although I was disappointed to see that (once again!) no mention of source material is made. Where did Cohlene get this story? This is one of the first questions I ask, when opening a folkloric retelling! I'm also a little dubious about the use of the term 'Eskimo,' which I know some people find offensive and misleading. Since Cohlene acknowledges that it is not a term used by the peoples she is discussing, in her factual afterword, but given to them by outsiders, why does she use it in her title? Why not just specify the specific people (Inuit?, Yupik?) from whom the story comes? Or doesn't she know...?

Renowned - despite her young age - for her skill with a needle, Quillworker is prompted by a series of dreams to create seven beautiful war-shirts, and the breechclouts, leggings, moccasins, and gauntlets to go with them. Prompted again by her dreams, the young Cheyenne girl sets out for a distant lodge, where she knows that seven brothers are waiting to welcome her as their sister. All goes well, for a time, until the buffalo people appear, and demand Quillworker for themselves. When the seven brothers refuse to surrender their new sister, they find themselves under attack, and must climb into the sky to escape destruction, eventually becoming the constellation known as the Big Dipper.

A pourquoi tale explaining the origins of a well-known constellation, the story to be found in Terri Cohlene's Quillworker has also been retold by Paul Goble, in his picture-book, Her Seven Brothers, and features as one storytelling 'episode' (The Legend of Quillwork Girl And Her Seven Star Brothers) in the made-for-television film, Dreamkeeper. It also happens to be the last of Terri Cohlene's six folkloric adaptations, all part of the Native American Legends series, that I have read. I can't tell you how glad I am to be done with them!

As with all of Cohlene's other entries in the series - Turquoise Boy, Little Firefly, Dancing Drum, Clamshell Boy, and Ka-Ha-Si and The Loon - this title's lack of attribution, its omission of any reference to the source material used, greatly irritated me. That happens to be one thing that I particularly look for, in folkloric adaptations, and while I understand that older works of this nature might not include such information, I find it difficult to overlook its absence, in a book published in 1990. Unfortunately, the trouble with Quillworker doesn't end there, as the book also includes - as did Little Firefly - a reference in the time-line at the rear, to the Battle of Wounded Knee. As mentioned in my review of Little Firefly, I find this terminology utterly unacceptable, as it whitewashes a tragic, and very shameful episode in American history. To add insult to injury, this particular time-line also includes a reference to the Battle of Sand Creek!

One more time, all together: No, Terri Cohlene, these weren't battles. Battles are what happen when two military forces meet and engage. When military forces kill non-combatants, we call that a massacre. Or mass murder. Or a war crime. When the military force in question proceeds to mutilate the dead bodies of its victims (as was done at Sand Creek, where approximately 66% of the dead were women and children), we call that a bizarrely perverse atrocity. See the difference? Get it straight!

Although Salmonberry's mother warns her to return to their village before dark, in order to avoid Basket Woman - a fearsome giant said to haunt the beach, and make off with naughty children, in order to roast and eat them - the young Makah girl convinces herself, and her friends, that there is nothing to worry about. When the children are all kidnapped as a result, it falls to Clamshell Boy - who rises out of the clam upon which Salmonberry's mother is weeping - to rescue them, tricking Basket Woman, and luring her to her own destruction...

This folktale from the Makah people of Neah Bay, Washington is the second entry in the Native American Legends series that I have read, after First Woman and the Strawberry: A Cherokee Legend, by Gloria Dominic, and follows the same format, presenting the tale first, and following it with a brief factual introduction to the people from which it came. I was really quite disappointed to see that the latter focuses exclusively on the historical Makah, rather than their present-day descendants, although this isn't that uncommon, in children's books about Native Americans. The story itself was interesting, although I would have preferred to know what source the author used, in telling it.

All in all, Clamshell Boy was a pleasant, but unremarkable read, with appealing, but slightly generic stylized illustrations. If it sounds like I'm damning it with faint praise, I am: this was a fairly low three stars for me. Enough to convince me to try some of Terri Cohlene's other folkloric retellings (I have them all checked out of the library, at the moment), but somehow, not entirely satisfactory either.

In this story Mikele can hardly wait to get the chores done with Papa so that she can give him his surprise. Little did she know that Papa had a surprise for her also.
Source: Pierce County Library
Ages: 4-6

Turquoise Boy is a Navajo Legend about how the Navahos acquired horses. The story is quite long and will require a strong background knowledge of Native American culture or a review of key vocabulary used in the book. It is an excellent resource for students exploring Southwest NAtive American culture.

SUMMARY: Grandmother Sun was jealous that The People danced and sang songs to her brother, The Moon. She sent scorching heat and it ruined The People's crops. Dancing Drum turned into a snake and was told to bite Grandmother Sun's ankle, but accidentally bit her daughter and she died. She was sad and so the people were cold and in darkness. The People tried to cheer her up by dancing and singing, but it didn't work. So, Dancing Drum played the drum that his grandfather gave him. She heard the music and it cheered her up. Grandmother Sun came out of her house once again to smile down on her Children of the Mountain.
PERSONAL REACTION: I think it's an interesting story and I really enjoyed reading it.
EXTENSION IDEAS: I think making Indian tacos would be a yummy activity.

The myth of Turquoise Boy teaches and reflects on how animals are just as important to earth as humans are. Pages 32-47 have a brief history of the Navajo people and their customs. Besides beautiful watercolor illustrations it also includes photography of the Navajo people, their art, where they live, and costumes/masks of their gods. 5 stars.

Summary: This is a story about a indian boy that wants to make a life easier on the people in the fields so he goes to different mountains and gets stones. This boy searches for anything to help his People.
Personal Reaction: This book was longer than expected, I liked it, it's just long.
Classroom Extension Idea: 1. The kids would probably enjoy the culture of this book. 2. The kids could learn about this culture also.

Magical Items or Gifts--Motif

Magical items or gifts are a prominent feature of traditional literature- notably folk tales and myths. The magical properties or the magic that results from these items plays a major part in what makes these tales so popular and alluring to children in particular, whose imaginations are stimulated by the notion of perhaps owning or encountering one of these items of their own. Yet as we examine these tales, we understand that it is not the inherent magic of these items that deliver the lessons or morals of each story, they tend to only be a catalyst in the tale’s realization of true power, knowledge, joy, or beauty.

The Navajo story of Turquoise Boy (Cohelene, Terri 1950, Rourke Corp) illusttrates the creation of a magical gift. The Turquoise Boy, is on a mission to help make life easier for the Dinetaa people, collecting gifts and wisdom from the various Holy Ones as well as his mother, Changing Woman, and his father, Sun Bearer. Along the way Turquoise Boy must draw upon his courage, his hope, his family, and his discipline to call forth the horses that would make life easier for his people.
The message, and the magical gift, is perseverance in all things in all one does, a great lesson for anyone. I enjoyed this story, although it felt extremely slow at times.

This book is a wonderful Navajo Legend about a young boy who wants life to be a little easier for his people. The boy sets off on a series of journeys looking for something special to make their way of life easy. The boy finally meets a man that can help him, but he must prove to this man that his people truly deserve this wondrous gift.

I personally enjoyed this book. I love old Native American Legends. This particular story explains how the Navajo people acquired horses. The illustrations are beautifully incorporated and paint a vivid picture which allows you to feel like your part of the story.

This book would be a good opener for the study of American History. In the class you could discuss all the different groups of Native Americans that lived throughout the U.S. The class could discuss where each of the groups lived, and discover what that group is most notably remembered for.

The story of Ka-Ha-Si tells of a boy who is considered lazy and a bit of joke in the village. He has never learned to hunt and does not help his family. Instead he sleeps all day by a lamp in his family's igloo. One day, a loon comes to visit him and tells him he must come to a special spot every day so he will be ready when his grandfather returns. After several days, the loon comes to tell Ka-Ha-Si that the village is in trouble and he must save them. Amazingly, the boy who only ever slept the day away is able to solve the village's problems with apparent supernatural abilities. Several times this happens; the village is in trouble and Ka-Ha-Si saves the day. The loon continues to guide the boy. One day the loon comes to tell Ka-Ha-Si that the time has come, his grandfather needs him. The boy is swallowed up by the ocean and Ka-Ha-Si takes his grandfather's place as The Strong One, who holds the Earth on his shoulders.

The second half of the book takes a quick look into the history and culture of the Eskimos. This surprise addition is a natural supplement to the story. It is natural that a reader would be curious about the people who created the story they just read. This book provides the opportunity for the reader to explore the world of the Eskimo immediately after sharing a piece of their culture.

Salomberry mother tells her and the other children not to be out to late because Basketwomen will get them. The children did not believe Basketwomen was real so they played until sun down. Once the sun went down the children noticed a very large women who they have never seen before, it was Basketwomen. Salomberry’s mother finds a magic shell that turns into a boy. The boy was called Clamshell Boy and he went off to find Salomberry and the other children. Once he found the Basketwomen he killed her and when to her house to rescue the children. Clamshell boy might his sister and then returned all the children home safely.

I liked this story a lot. It is a legend but it shows how children should obey because their parents are just looking out for them. This story also gives a possible way of how potlatch in the Makah started.

In the classroom, I might ask the students to come up with a different version of the legend that would apply in today’s world. We could also have a potlatch and the students can celebrate doing well in school or they could each give one reason why they think is a good reason to celebrate.

This book tells the story of young Navajo who always see his people working hard in the fields and searching long in the desert for food. He wanted to do something to make their life easier. He went on a journey to try and find his answer with the Talking Gods of the White Shell Mountains of the East. But this in not the last stop he has to make for it is found out to be only the first stop on a long journey. For each time Turquoise Boy asks for something to make the lives of his people easier the Talking Gods send him along to their brothers of the sacred Turquoise Mountain or the Yellow Abalone Shell Mountain in the west or the Black Jet Mountain of the north. It is only when he comes back to his mother, Changing Woman, when she sends him across a rainbow bridge to the great Hogan of his father, Sun Bearer. With the help of all he has gathered along his journey, he is able to receive horses for his people. When he returns back to his mother, they hold a ritual and are granted these horses to help their people.

I absolutely fell in love with this book. I find the history of Native American’s so interesting and wonderful. This book is very rich and color, just as the Native American’s are, and helps a child understand their history. It explains how they had to work in the fields for long and grueling hour’s everyday. It also tells about the spiritual side of them as well.

This is a great way to introduce Native American’s to a group of young student’s. A great classroom extension would be to have them great a miniature version of a quilt, just like the Native American’s do. They could incorporate their favorite drawings, symbols, colors, shapes, etc. They could also take a map of the U.S. and label where the Native American’s would have lived and where they traveled for food. They could make a legend for the symbols the Native American’s used and put short description of what they meant out beside it.