Iktomi and the Buzzard: A Plains Indian Story

Goble, Paul

3.46

26 ratings by Goodreads

9780531086629: Iktomi and the Buzzard: A Plains Indian Story

ISBN 10: 0531086623 ISBN 13: 9780531086629

Publisher: Orchard Books, 1994

In his fifth book, Iktomi the Plains Indian Trickster convinces Buzzard to fly him to a powwow, cannot resist laughing at Buzzard's bald head, and is promptly tipped headfirst into a hollow tree by the offended bird.

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From Booklist:

Ages 5-8. "Don't read this book. That white guy, Paul Goble, is stealing my stories and making money off of them." It's hard to resist Iktomi--he's so vain and brash. Dressed in his finest eagle feathers ("I have an excellent self-image today"), he's on a merry jaunt to a powwow when a river gets in his way. Sweet-talking Buzzard into giving him a ride, Iktomi makes himself smaller and climbs aboard. Thinking he can't be seen, he then makes rude signs behind Buzzard's back. But when Buzzard sees Iktomi's shadow, he dumps the scoundrel down a hollow tree. The striking drawings in Goble's typical style of vivid colors, distinctive lines, and authentic design are given variety through the use of a textured cut-paper tree that shows Iktomi's feet sticking out of the top, two woodpeckers looking in through a peep hole, and Iktomi peering out at the girls he tricks into saving him ("Girls! They always fall in love with my ideas!"). Goble's scholarship is impeccable, his comments about Trickster tales are enlightening, and his advice on how to read the various type faces is worth noting. There's even a bit of music, with lyrics in English and Lakota. Julie Corsaro

From School Library Journal:

Kindergarten-Grade 6-Once again his excessive pride brings the irrepressible Iktomi down- but this time the fall is really a long one. On his way to a powwow, and dressed to show off his great talent for Eagle Dancing, he comes to a river that is too wide to cross. He talks Buzzard into flying him across, but then makes fun of the bird's unattractive appearance. The result is a well-deserved comeuppance, which Iktomi (naturally) refuses to take to heart. Told with verve and humor, the text is beautifully augmented by Goble's India ink, watercolor, and gouche illustrations. The complex language won't deter young elementary students' comprehension, and older children who enjoy folklore that is a bit sophisticated will also be entertained. A sure hit where Goble's other Iktomi books have been popular, this is also a fine introduction to this traditional Lakota figure, an overconfident but lovable trickster.
Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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