Mammals - Marine, Fiction - General & Miscellaneous, Native North American Peoples - Folklore

The Rainbow Bridge

Name: The Rainbow Bridge
Author: Audrey Wood
ISBN: 9780152021061

by Audrey Wood, Robert Florczak

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Overview

Hutash the earth goddess creates a rainbow bridge—and saves her people from drowning by turning them into dolphins.

A contemporary story based on the Chumash Indian legend about the origin of dolphins.

Synopsis

Hutash the earth goddess creates a rainbow bridge--and saves her people from drowning by turning them into dolphins.

Publishers Weekly

Drawn from a Native American legend, this story follows the migration of an overpopulated tribe via a miraculous bridge. PW's starred review called it "collaborative storytelling at its best." Ages 4-8. (May)n Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

About the Author, Audrey Wood

AUDREY WOOD is the much-loved author of more than thirty books for children, including the bestselling The Napping House, Piggies, Heckedy Peg, and most recently, Piggy Pie Po, which she collaborated on with her husband, Don Wood. She lives in Hawaii.

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Editorials

From the Publisher

"A shining example of economy and elegance of text, originality of interpretation and dazzling illustrative technique....Collaborative storytelling at its best."—Publishers Weekly
"Enthralling."—San Francisco Chronicle
"Dynamic pictures and an unusual story set this volume apart from the familiar run of Native American tales."—School Library Journal

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Children's Literature

Audrey Wood, author of some thirty books, presents a retelling of the Chumash Indian legend about the origin of the dolphins. The earth goddess Hutash was lonely and wished to share her island home (now Santa Cruz Island). She scattered seeds gathered from a sacred plant and they yielded men and women made in her likeness. In time the Chumash Tribe grew, crowding the island, frightening animals, destroying the flora, and keeping the goddess from sleep. To remedy the intolerable situation, Hutash visited the tribe and directed half people to leave the island, cross the ocean, and make new homes in the distant land (today's Santa Barbara). As the people crossed Hutash's rainbow bridge, some lost faith, falling into the ocean. Rather than drowning, the people were changed by Hustash into dolphins. This is why the Chumash believe that dolphins are the brothers and sisters of their tribe. Florczak's achieves a depth and detail to his paintings by using multiple coats of glazing applied over the oil paints.