Shared Spirit

Gr 2–4—This illustrated collection of Native American folktales tells the stories first in English and then in Chickasaw. Five selections explain various aspects of the natural world, such as how the Earth was created by a crayfish and a buzzard, and why certain animals are poisonous. Scattered throughout are painted images of animals and plants from the stories; a particularly memorable one depicts all of the animals in the world huddled on a raft before the Earth's creation. While they are portrayed realistically, fuzzy textures and large eyes give them a comical, almost cartoonish look. Though the illustrations add character and break up the large expanse of white space, they don't make up for awkward phrasing and overly long sentences. In places, the author fails to provide necessary information for readers to understand the narrative. For example, it isn't immediately apparent why Skunk in "Why Skunk Smells So Bad" begins to shrink from the size of an elephant to that of a cow. Similarly, one story mentions "Aba'Binni'li" but neglects to explain until the final paragraph that he is the Chickasaw's God. While the bilingual element of the collection is intriguing, it's unlikely that patrons without prior knowledge of the Chickasaw language will appreciate it, especially as the translations contain neither a pronunciation guide nor a glossary for common words.—Mahnaz Dar, formerly at Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City