How Rabbit Tricked Otter: And Other Cherokee Trickster Stories

Ross, Gayle

ISBN 10: 0060212861 ISBN 13: 9780060212865

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1994

Synopsis

Based on Cherokee oral tradition, this witty collection of native American folktales chronicles the mischievous exploits and adventures of Rabbit, the Cherokee trickster-hero.

About this title

About the Author:

Gayle Ross is a direct descendant of John Ross, the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation during the infamous Trail of Tears. She is the author of How Turtle's Back Was Cracked and The Legend of Windigo. She has told the myths and legends of the Cherokee people at schools, colleges, and festivals across the United States and Canada, carrying on a family tradition begun by her grandmother. She lives in Fredericksburg, Texas. Murv Jacob is a painter and pipemaker of Kentucky-Cherokee descent. He has won numerous awards for his work, including the Grand Award at the Trail of Tears Art Show. He lives in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

From School Library Journal:

Kindergarten-Grade 6-Fifteen short, action-oriented tales about Rabbit, the Cherokee trickster hero. In the title story, Rabbit cheats Otter out of his beautiful fur coat, but then loses the wonderful tail that was his rightful gift from the Creator. Each subsequent story relates to those that precede it, much as they would in an informal story-telling session, yet each also stands alone as a small, humorous teaching tale. Traditional manners and morals, culture, and spirituality are lightly woven into the selections. Rabbit's exploits come to life in language that is as natural as conversation and as easy to listen to. The author, herself Cherokee, is steeped in her culture, yet has the freshness of voice and connection with her audience that make the material come alive for contemporary young readers. The detailed, primitive-style acrylic paintings by a Kentucky-Cherokee artist portray the animals, traditional clothing, and environment with accuracy as well as spontaneity. Some of the pictures appear to be out of place with the text, but otherwise the book design is quite pleasing with its bordered pages and hand-lettered titles. Several of the stories will be familiar to young readers in other forms. "Tar Wolf" is known to many through "Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby." "Rabbit Races with Turtle" begins like Aesop's "The Tortoise and the Hare" but takes an unexpected twist at the end. Although the stories are a bit repetitive, all in all this is a sweet offering that will be an enjoyable addition to any collection.
Carolyn Polese, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0060212861
• ISBN 13: 9780060212865
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 80
• Illustrator: Jacob Murv