The Girl Who Helped Thunder

Bibliography:

Bruchac, James and Joseph Bruchac. 2007. The girl who helped thunder and other Native American folktales. Ill by. Stefano Vitale. New York: Sterling. ISBN: 9781402732638.

Summary:

This picture book collects folktales from various Native American tribes. It is part of a series called Folktales of the World. Some tales explain the origin of things, such as how a crow brought corn to a young boy to plant, or how the Sun helped the people make a drum. Other tales show the importance of family, bravery, or generosity. Seven brothers go to great lengths to rescue their sister from a buffalo. The moon gave up one eye to give people the gift of darkness and rest. Still other stories demonstrate the bad things that happen when someone is selfish or proud. Owl hid food from his starving children so he could eat, and now he only comes out at night because he is ashamed.

Analysis:

The authors (or re-tellers) arrange the book according to regions of the United States, from the Northeast to the Far North. Each section has a preface that tells about the major American Indian tribes that come from that region, and introduces the stories. There are 3 or 4 stories per section, each one from a different tribe. Although the book is a compilation of stories, the authors do a good job of making it clear that the tribes and regions are all unique. The prefaces provide valuable historical and cultural information. The sources for each story are listed in the back of the book. The stories are short, easy to read in one sitting, and accessible for children. There are only a few non-English words, and they are translated in the text. For reading aloud, it would have been useful if a pronunciation guide for names had been included.

The stories are accompanied by color illustrations, which are beautiful and whimsical. The Italian illustrator has no Native American background, but is known for his folk art. The images are of a more traditional representation rather than modern, and perhaps occasionally verging on stereotypes, as in the image of a man sitting cross –legged in front of a fire and wearing a feather headband. The faces are diverse, though, and children will enjoy the various animals depicted.

Reviews/Awards:

“The individual stories are concise, spanning only a few pages, allowing them to be read in a single sitting, while the many animal personalities found within-some mischievous, some heroic-will capture the imagination of storytime audiences.” School Library Journal

Connections:
* Find other folktales from a specific tribe of interest. This website (http://www.native-languages.org/legends.htm) indexes various legends and tales by tribe.