The Story of the Milky Way: A Cherokee Tale. Joseph Bruchas and Gayle Ross. Illus. by Virginia A. Stroud. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1995. 32 pages. $14.99 (Hardcover). ISBN 0-8037-1737-7. Grades PreK-3.
Reminds Me Of…
The Story of the Milky Way: A Cherokee Tale reminded me of the other Native American tales I have read recently. These tales are not identical by any means, and the come from different tribes, but the style in which tales are retold, and the sense of history and tradition that come from these books are similar. For example, Beaver Steals Fire: A Salish Coyote Story tells of how fire came to the Earth from the land above. The similarity in this story comes in the form of a reason why something is the way it is, much like how the Milky Way was formed in this story. I was also reminded of Arrow to the Sun: a Pueblo Indian Tale. In this tale we learn of one aspect of Pueblo culture, how life comes from the solar power; similarly to the way there is a great respect for elders in The Story of the Milky Way. The importance of elders in this story also reminded me of the love of a grandson and respect for elders in the bookI, Doko: The Tale of a Basket by Ed Young. This story offers the reason why elders and younger generations get along in harmony now.
I was also reminded of another title based on the illustrations, since I recognized the style prior to even noticing the name on the front cover. I knew the second I saw those white-pink faces with pink blush circles Virginia Stroud was the illustrator. I recognized her work from the book A Walk to the Great Mystery which she wrote and illustrated.
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