The Wonderful Sky Boat

Children's Literature

Twenty-seven of the most intriguing and inspiring stories of Native Americans from the southeastern part of the United States have been brought together in this collection of tales. It seems fitting that the first story traces "The Creation of the World," and it also seems right that the last story, "The Country under the Water," is about a couple that leaves this world for another. The tales between are filled with adventure, love, danger and life. In "The Ice Man," a mysterious stranger from a far away land comes to the aid of a village battling a terrible, unstoppable fire. In "Keeper of the Animals," a youth makes a rash decision, forever changing his family's course. In the story from which the volume takes its name, a young man finds love and learns about loss. Or does he? This nice collection would be a fine addition to a home or classroom library. It would also be a great gift for readers with shorter attention spans—or active imaginations! The tales are supplemented with written passages about the southeastern region in ancient times, the original storytellers and a detailed bibliography. 2001, Margaret K. McElderry/Simon & Schuster, $17.00. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Heidi Green

Kirkus Reviews

Tales from various Southeastern tribes are nicely retold in this collection of 28 stories of creation, caution, how, and why. Each is attributed in its title (and in the table of contents) to its tribe, including Catawba, Chitimacha, Creek, and Tunica and brief historical notes on each tribe are included in the About the Storytellers section, after which Curry (Turtle Island, 1998, etc.) provides sources. She does not describe how she has retold these stories, only that they are retold, sometimes based on more than one version, and sometimes with new titles. The stories are clearly Curry's, as they have a unified voice, and use a Anglicized style of dialogue that will feel natural to most readers, but the content and message seem to be accurate. They vary slightly in length, but are all fairly short; full-page black-and-white illustrations break up the text, if they don't add much to the tales. Curry's voice is rhythmic and humorous, making these stories perfect to tell aloud, and readers will find this collection useful for its specificity. (Folklore. 8+)