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Overview
Wild Yusi, thoughtless Yusi, crazy Yusi thinks the village--and the canyon itself-- is his, scrawling his mark everywhere; on desks at school, buildings, and even trees. "Yudonsi," you-don't-see, the villagers begin calling him. Yudonsi's arrogance knows no bounds until the day he climbs the canyon wall to paint his mark where all must see it, and winds up facing the anger of the canyon and sky, and the threat it poses to the entire village.With rich, spacious oil paintings that bring the grandeur of the American Southwest to life, Riptide and Akiak creator Robert J. Blake has crafted a moving story about the powerful spirit of a Native American boy, and the equally powerful spirit of his people
Yusi wants people to notice that he is different, so he puts his "tag" on desks, walls, and even trees, alienating everyone in his village.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly -
Blake's (Akiak) tale of a contemporary Native American boy traffics less in character development than cultural stereotypes. Yusi, a member of a Southwestern tribe, is "different" and "want[s] everyone to know it," too. So he spray-paints, draws and even carves his "tag," or name, all around his canyon village. The people are alarmed: they believe the canyon is alive and "would take care of the people only as long as they cared for the canyon." When Yusi will not stop, they begin to call him Yudonsi ("you don't see") and to ignore him; to retaliate, Yusi decides to paint an enormous tag on the canyon wall. The fierce storm that follows (caused, it is implied, by Yusi's hubris) brings the tribe members together and, predictably, forces Yusi to "see" the interconnectedness of all things--an epiphany he expresses by picking up a flute and playing "a song that he had never heard before... the song of the ages." Blake's rugged, naturalistic paintings, thick oils laid on canvas with a palette knife, are particularly strong at capturing the Southwestern landscape in all its shades of red and brown, yellow and gray; his carefully cadenced prose tells Yusi's story with a clarity and directness that is often compelling. But the unrelenting focus on message is likely to leave many readers cold. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.Children's Literature -
Sweeping lines and softly textured oils capture the feel of the southwestern canyonlands against which this original story is set. The storyline is intriguing--a boy who leaves his "tag" everywhere, caring nothing for the people's disapproval or the power of the canyon. Yusi seems at times a less than fully developed character, but the resolution is moving, and the art carries the tale in places where the text seems to lack strength. Alas, no documentation is offered of exactly which Native American peoples provided the inspiration for the story.Kirkus Reviews
Yusi, a contemporary Native American (no particular community is specified) boy living in a village in the Southwest, loves to write his name on everything: his school desk, trees, rocks, and canyon walls. The other people of Yusi's village don't like his markings, or tag, telling him that it is making their surroundings ugly. They mock his name, pronounced "You-see," by calling him "Yodonsi" ("You-don't-see"). Yusi is determined to be noticed, climbing to the top of the canyon wall to spray paint his name; he is caught in a landslide and terrible storm. He finds shelter in a cave, where his people also find safety, and Yusi realizes the importance of honoring the land. Blake (Akiak, 1997, etc.) offers dramatic paintings of the landscape, with sweeping double-page scenes that capture the majesty of the towering cliffs in rain and sunshine. The message is a heavy one, but Blake's reverence for the land is apparent on every page. (Picture book. 6-9)Book Details
Published
September 1, 1999
Publisher
Philomel Books
Pages
1
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780399233203