Itse Selu

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

As adults prepare to celebrate the harvesting of the corn, Little Wolf makes his usual rounds--bathing in the river, checking with his grandmother on the progress of his new moccasins, playing a game called gada yosdi --while anxiously awaiting the start of the festival. Attempting to portray Cherokee life before the advent of the Europeans, Pennington's disjointed, unfocused text is not engrossing, but it does string together a few valuable and engaging bits of Cherokee education and ritual. For example, elders teach Little Wolf and his friend to observe a spider spinning its web before they learn to weave their own fishing nets. Through considerable collaboration with anthropologists and historians, Pennington provides authentic accounts of the feast, a traditional folktale and the sacred corn dance. Stewart's illustrations, while somewhat flat, convey a sense of the characters' peacefulness and contentment. Cherokee vocabulary and pronunciation play large roles in the text--appropriately, given the advanced literacy of the Cherokee nation (a postscript tells of Sequoyah, who singlehandedly devised the written Cherokee language; a syllabary is included). All ages. (Apr.)

Children's Literature - Kathleen Karr

One of a growing number of books for the ethnic market, Itse Selu ("green corn") describes one special festival day in the life of a young eastern Cherokee boy. Basic Cherokee words are explained and interwoven with the text, which also includes an interesting variation on the classic southern "Tarbaby" story. An Afterword on Sequoyah and his Cherokee Syllabary is useful.

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-The elements of the long-ago Cherokee harvest festival (Itse Selu) are presented in a fictionalized format as readers follow a young boy's experiences on the last day. The concept of the Green Corn Festival as a time of thanksgiving and renewal is made clear. However, the setting of the story-pre-Columbian North Carolina-is a mystery unless one reads the back cover of the book. Stewart's full-page, full-color illustrations depict realistic children set against backgrounds done in vibrant woodland greens and browns. Several Cherokee words are introduced, with pronunciations, within the warm, simple story. This title provides an accessible and interesting vignette of Native American life before the coming of the Europeans, and as such could serve as an introduction to further reading or study on the subject.-M. Colleen McDougall, Kayenta Boarding School, AZ

Karen Hutt

Brightly colored illustrations and a simple, straightforward text recall the traditional Cherokee festival known as Itse Selu, the Green Corn Festival. Little Wolf, a young Cherokee boy, and his family and friends acknowledge the ripening of the corn and the beginning of a new year with rituals, feasting, and storytelling. Many details of traditional Cherokee life are incorporated as the tribe celebrates one day of the four-day festival. Several words from the eastern dialect of the Cherokee are included, along with pronunciation guides and definitions. No tribal affiliations for the author or illustrator are indicated, and although the preface presents information about the Green Corn Festival, there are no source notes for the information or the story incorporated into the narrative.