Synopsis
“The theme of this impressive collection of 46 traditional tales from around the world is respect for the natural world. Logically arranged into ten sections that explore the earth and humankind’s relationship to it, the stories within each section are also strongly connected. For instance, a Polynesian Maui yarn that explains the nature of the “sky” is followed by an Inuit story about the creation of the sun, a Navajo tale that introduces the origin of the Milky Way, and an Aboriginal story that looks at how the Pleiades was formed. This book is the first place many of these eloquent tales have been adapted for children; two of them, the Australian legend “The Seven Sisters” and the French folktale “Earth Words,” are gems. For both children and adults, the one-page discussion of lessons at the end of each section and the general activities in the back of the book are unobtrusive. There are also extensive scholarly notes, as well as title, culture, and both country and geographical indexes.” —Julie Corsaro
