Coyote Walks on Two Legs: A Book of Navajo Myths and Legends

Four Navajo creation myths chronicle the exploits, antics, and adventures of Coyote the Trickster as he abducts the Water Monster's babies and starts the Great Flood, tries to steal corn from the horned toad, and attempts to exchange his fur for that of a spotted fawn.

Grade 2-4?In this fine collection, a master storyteller relates five traditional tales. In these selections, told in lyrical, free-flowing prose, readers see Coyote as a trickster, a fool, as well as a hero. These are not the silly Coyote stories of Gerald McDermott but rather more serious legends, such as "The Great Flood," "The Guardian of the Corn," and others. Coyote, here, is both everyman and himself, an animal and human prototype. Cooper's fittingly muted, sepia and gold-toned watercolor illustrations have a dreamlike quality. The animals are rendered in a naturalistic, but soft-focused style and are particularly expressive. A well done but additional purchase.?Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 6^-9. In these five short tales based on Navajo myths, Coyote becomes a victim of his own greed and vanity and often causes considerable trouble for those around him. In one story, Coyote steals the water-monster babies, causing the Great Flood and forcing all the Animal People to run up the mountains to escape. In another, Coyote's envy of the spotted coats of the fawns leads him to try to get a spotted coat of his own. The book has much to recommend it: children will adore the antics of a foolish but lovable trickster; and Cooper's realistic illustrations are very pleasing, beautifully rendered in the rich, warm tones of the desert. However, teachers interested in using this in conjunction with a unit on Native Americans will find it best suited to story time, as there aren't enough specifics included about the culture itself. Lauren Peterson