The Eagle's Gift

After Marten's two brothers disappear, Marten sets off to find them with the help of a magical eagle that guides him along the way while teaching him important lessons of life, in a traditional Innuit Alaskan tale.

Grade 1-6?In this Eskimo myth that explains the origin of community celebration, a boy is transported by an Eagle-man to a mountain top where frail Eagle Mother charges Marten with completing four tasks in order to learn the meaning of joy and teach it to his people. He must build a feast hall where people can learn the joy of community, learn to dance, and learn to sing and, finally, learn to tell stories. As Marten completes each task, Eagle Mother grows stronger until she is restored. Marten's quest completed, she commands him to return to his people. Through him, they learn the joy of friendship, singing, dancing, and storytelling. When the first celebration ends, the guests are transformed into Arctic animals to spread joy throughout the world. The tale is solemnized by the simple but elegant language of a polished storyteller. The formal style lets readers know instantly that they are in mythic territory. An author's note attributes the tale to the recognized authority Knud Rasmussen. Kiuchi's neo-impressionist paintings range from the cold sweep of an Arctic landscape to the earthy interior of a feast hall filled with the moving shadows of dancers, singers, and drummers. This ancient myth has origins in a harsh world where life is endless toil; it also has relevance to modern culture where striving and lack of community make the gift of joy elusive. Storytellers and readers looking for stories with inspirational currency will wish to purchase this eloquent retelling.?Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Greenwich, CT
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Martin (Mysterious Tales of Japan, also illustrated by Kiuchi, 1996, etc.) went to an out-of-print collection gathered by Arctic explorer Knud Rasmussen for the source of this wordy retelling of an Alaskan tale about the spread of the gift of joy. In the long-ago Alaskan wilderness, a man wearing a cape of eagle feathers appears with a message for Marten, who is uncomprehending: ``What is sing? What is dance? What is story and delight? What is joy?'' He goes with the eagle-man to a house atop a mountain, where an old mother instructs him to build a feast hall, learn to dance, and tell stories to the beat of a drum. ``Put your memories and thoughts into words that can move to the beat of your drum. This is the path of joy.'' Marten accomplishes his three tasks effortlessly, without challenge or suspense. An unexplained premise, sketchy details regarding the fate of Marten's brothers, confusing animal transformations, and a didactic author's note strain this tale; the flat, formal telling does not convey a sense of the joy it preaches. Kiuchi's richly textured spreads compensate somewhat for the emotion missing in the story, lifting it up to depict laughter, dancing, and feathers flying to the beat of the drum. (Picture book. 5-8) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.