Bibliographic data
Bruchac, Joseph. Boy Who Lived With Bears and Other Iroquois Stories. New York: Harpercollins Childrens Books, 1995.
Brief plot summary
This book contains six short tales from the Iroquois. “Rabbit and Fox” is a story about a Rabbit outwitting a sly Fox. “The Boy Who Lived With the Bears” is a tale about a boy that had to live with his uncle. The uncle decided he didn’t want to take care of him anymore so the boy found a family of bears to live with. “How the Birds Got Their Feathers” birds were too hot or too cold. The buzzard was chosen to fly to get clothes for the birds. This buzzard was greedy about choosing the feathers so he was left with an ugly suit. “Turtle Makes War on Man” is about a turtle that decided to go to war with man. Bear and Wolf try to go with Turtle but he feels like they are not as mighty of warriors as him. Turtle picks up Skunk and Rattlesnake but they don’t make it to go to war with the Haudenosaunee people. “Chipmunk and Bear” is a tale about a foolish Bear and a bully of a Chipmunk. “Rabbit’s Snow Dance” is about a greedy Rabbit that dances and sings for more snow.
Critical analysis
Once again, many of the tales begin, “Long ago, backing the days when the animals could talk and the people could understand them” (40). It’s interesting to note that the tales end with, “This is how that story goes. Ho? Hey.” What is nice about these tales is that all have a reason and it provides something for readers to learn while enjoying the stories.
In the story about the boy who lived with bears, tell adults to love their children. Many of the tales have to do with choosing not to be greedy. All of the tales have something to learn from and that is an important aspect of oral traditional storytelling in Native American culture.
This is a special book because it was originally produced for audio and it appears in written form for the first time for many of the tales. Just as most of us grew up reading or listening to Aesop’s Fables, The Iroquois have gone through several generations hearing these tales.
Murv Jacob, the illustrator in this book is a painter and pipemaker of Cherokee descent. He lives in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, which is where most of the Cherokee population now lives. The tops and bottoms of the pages have lovely ornately drawn pictures in a soft grey color. For each story there is a full-page picture depicting what is happening in the tale. These pictures are rich in color and very detailed. Jacob uses deep, rich colors in his paintings.
Review excerpt
School Library Journal
Although these stories can be found in other anthologies, including Bruchac's Iroquois Stories (Crossing, 1985), they are gathered here for younger children and presented as lessons the tribal elders might pass on during winter story times. The reteller's introduction is instructive and sets the mood for these humorous, moral?but never didactic?tales. Each one is carefully crafted with precise language and striking images.
Booklist
His direct, immediate language makes the book accessible to a wide range of children, including reluctant and new readers, and the humor and inherent drama make the tales ideal for reading and telling aloud. The seven full-page color paintings by Murv Jacob are brightly framed with floral and other patterns that enhance the vibrant compositions, and, whether animal or human, the characters are nicely individualized and energetically executed. A gray flowered border surrounds each page of text, the type is large, the design is spacious, and the detailing is attractive.
Connections
Discuss the differences between the many Native American tribes
Compare these tales to Aesop's Fables
Bruchac, Joseph. Boy Who Lived With Bears and Other Iroquois Stories. New York: Harpercollins Childrens Books, 1995.
Brief plot summary
This book contains six short tales from the Iroquois. “Rabbit and Fox” is a story about a Rabbit outwitting a sly Fox. “The Boy Who Lived With the Bears” is a tale about a boy that had to live with his uncle. The uncle decided he didn’t want to take care of him anymore so the boy found a family of bears to live with. “How the Birds Got Their Feathers” birds were too hot or too cold. The buzzard was chosen to fly to get clothes for the birds. This buzzard was greedy about choosing the feathers so he was left with an ugly suit. “Turtle Makes War on Man” is about a turtle that decided to go to war with man. Bear and Wolf try to go with Turtle but he feels like they are not as mighty of warriors as him. Turtle picks up Skunk and Rattlesnake but they don’t make it to go to war with the Haudenosaunee people. “Chipmunk and Bear” is a tale about a foolish Bear and a bully of a Chipmunk. “Rabbit’s Snow Dance” is about a greedy Rabbit that dances and sings for more snow.
Critical analysis
Once again, many of the tales begin, “Long ago, backing the days when the animals could talk and the people could understand them” (40). It’s interesting to note that the tales end with, “This is how that story goes. Ho? Hey.” What is nice about these tales is that all have a reason and it provides something for readers to learn while enjoying the stories.
In the story about the boy who lived with bears, tell adults to love their children. Many of the tales have to do with choosing not to be greedy. All of the tales have something to learn from and that is an important aspect of oral traditional storytelling in Native American culture.
This is a special book because it was originally produced for audio and it appears in written form for the first time for many of the tales. Just as most of us grew up reading or listening to Aesop’s Fables, The Iroquois have gone through several generations hearing these tales.
Murv Jacob, the illustrator in this book is a painter and pipemaker of Cherokee descent. He lives in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, which is where most of the Cherokee population now lives. The tops and bottoms of the pages have lovely ornately drawn pictures in a soft grey color. For each story there is a full-page picture depicting what is happening in the tale. These pictures are rich in color and very detailed. Jacob uses deep, rich colors in his paintings.
Review excerpt
School Library Journal
Although these stories can be found in other anthologies, including Bruchac's Iroquois Stories (Crossing, 1985), they are gathered here for younger children and presented as lessons the tribal elders might pass on during winter story times. The reteller's introduction is instructive and sets the mood for these humorous, moral?but never didactic?tales. Each one is carefully crafted with precise language and striking images.
Booklist
His direct, immediate language makes the book accessible to a wide range of children, including reluctant and new readers, and the humor and inherent drama make the tales ideal for reading and telling aloud. The seven full-page color paintings by Murv Jacob are brightly framed with floral and other patterns that enhance the vibrant compositions, and, whether animal or human, the characters are nicely individualized and energetically executed. A gray flowered border surrounds each page of text, the type is large, the design is spacious, and the detailing is attractive.
Connections
Discuss the differences between the many Native American tribes
Compare these tales to Aesop's Fables
Read:
Bruchac, Joseph, Code Talker:A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two
After being taught in a boarding school run by whites that Navajo is a useless language, Ned Begay and other Navajo men are recruited by the Marines to become Code Talkers, sending messages during World War II in their native tongue.
Bruchac, Joseph, Code Talker:A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two
After being taught in a boarding school run by whites that Navajo is a useless language, Ned Begay and other Navajo men are recruited by the Marines to become Code Talkers, sending messages during World War II in their native tongue.
Bruchac, Joseph. A Boy Called Slow: The True Story of Sitting Bull.
The true story of a child so deliberate and methodical he was called Slow; he turns out to be Sitting Bull, the Lakota's greatest leader.
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