Trickster: Native American Tales a Graphic Collection. Edited by Matt Dembicki. Golden: Fulcrum Books, 2010. 231 pages. $22.95 (Paperback). ISBN 978-1-55591-724-1. Grades 5-8.
Reminds Me Of…
I have read stories similar to the tales in this book, so I was reminded of them as I read. The first tale, for example, “Coyote and the Pebbles” not only referenced The Great Mystery, a term I learned from the Virginia Stroud book A Walk to the Great Mystery. While the Great Mystery didn’t speak and give direction in Stroud’s book, it could be heard in nature its beings. The creation of stars reminded me of the story about the creation of the Milky Way as I t was expressed in The Story of the Milky Way: A Cherokee Tale by Joseph Bruchac. I was reminded of many a Br’r Rabbit tale as I read the story “Azban and the Crayfish” due to the determination and wit of the Raccoon, and upon researching I found that these tales actually have Cherokee origins I wasn’t aware of. This was a neat blend of something I recognized with something new. “Rabbit and the Tug of War” was another story I was familiar with, but the version I heard had different characters. I cannot recall the title of this tale, but I heard it told be Jess Willis at Storyfest SC 2011 at the State Museum, and in that story one small animal pulled a similar tug of war trick to earn the respect of the larger animals in the forest. It was told as an action story with audience volunteers. It was adorable. “Rabbit and the Tug of War” would make a great supporting story or recommendation at a similar story time. I also found it interesting how certain stories within this collection reminded me of each other. I didn’t realize that so many Native American tales mentioned why animals look and act the way they do (Crawfish eyes, wolves’ eyes, and rabbit’s tails). I like having these explanations and stories, they make great party topics!
I was intrigued by the illustrations in Trickster. They varied from story to story, making this a neat art show. I found that the first tale reminded me of anime graphics, especially when the animals turned in to their human forms. “Rabbit’s Choctaw Tail Tale” was more like a cartoon that you would see on television and also reminded me of the book Stinky, about the monster who was scared of a little boy. This incredibly cartoony animation style makes it harder for me to take the story seriously, but then again, the Rabbit story was kind of silly. I also noticed how some of the tales, “Moshup’s Bridge” for example used a lot of color to depict the tone and mood of the story through the nature, which I recognized from other Native American picture book illustrations.
The book as a whole is AMAZING. All of the trickster tales have something to offer, and although they remind me of each other and other materials, this book is one of a kind. It would be great for a storytime and an awesome suggestion for reluctant readers. The graphic format for one makes it a no brainer, but the collection of short stories also allows readers to take breaks or skip around or even keep reading. This is a great book to have.
On a slightly different note…
Okay, the story “The Dangerous Beaver” was quite disturbing. Cannibalism kind of freaks me out, okay, it really freaks me out so I was quite nervous and disturbed for the first few pages of this story, but was relieved that ended up okay. At the same time, however, I think this might be a little much for some readers. This was how I felt about Coraline, but then I remember I am kind of a baby. Haha.
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