The Path of the Quiet Elk: A Native American Alphabet Book

An alphabet book drawn from Native American teachings profiles twenty-six ways that children can link human life to the natural world, beginning with the letter A, which stands for the Animal Helper's guidance

Grade 2-5?A quiet masterpiece. A young Indian girl, Looks Within, begins a spiritual journey guided by Wisdom Keeper. The older woman teaches by bringing attention to things in nature that correspond to each letter of the alphabet. Dragonflies with light shining on their wings remind her of the light from the Creator. Lizard protects people from harm by dragging his tail on the ground to erase footsteps. The letter X, tricky for all alphabet books, symbolizes a crossroads where choices must be made. Unique in bringing Indian women and girls front and center, this amazing work combines spiritual lessons, narrative, and vibrant artwork. Bold acrylics, flooded with color, form, simplicity, and subtlety, fill each page. Stroud, of Cherokee-Creek birth, draws also on the Kiowa traditions in her adopted family. In a prefatory note, she suggests that the philosophy shared by all Indian peoples is available to everyone. The path of the quiet elk "...is not a place, but a way of learning to look at life." Byrd Baylor's poetic Desert Voices (1981) and I'm in Charge of Celebrations (1986, both Scribners) compare to this title in heart, but The Path of the Quiet Elk is one-of-a-kind. It looks like an easy picture book, but offers readers something much deeper.?Jacqueline Elsner, Athens Regional Library, GA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.