Hopis (A First Americans Book)

A retelling of the creation myth of the Hopis also describes their history, culture, religion, and present-day situation, relating how they resisted conversion by missionaries and were forced to live on a reservation.

Grade 3-5-Another solid series entry in picture-book format. After opening with a retelling of the creation myth, Sneve goes on to provide a fair amount of detail about the religion, social structure, and general way of life of the Hopi. Historical coverage is rather sporadic. Two early pages describe the coming of the Spanish in the 16th and 17th centuries, with the last few pages picking up the historical narrative from 1848 to the present. Sneve's prose is simple and straightforward, with short, clear sentences. Himler's appealing oil paintings lend a rich atmosphere to the book, with a variety of scenes focusing on people, customs, land, and tools. A Hopi quotation opens each section, offering extra insight into the culture; published sources are cited, but there is no indication when the original statements were made. There are other titles on the Hopi that offer more thorough information for reports, but this is an accessible and attractive introduction for younger readers.
Steven Engelfried, West Linn Public Library, OR
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

[SERIES LAST REVIEWED IN BKL O 1 94, under Sneve, Virginia Driving Hawk. Ages 5^-9.]