On the Road of Stars: Native American Night Poems and Sleep Charms

The author of Doctor Coyote, an authority on native American culture, compiles a definitive collection of fifty-one native American sleep charms and poems, representing a wide range of tribal traditions.

Grade 2 Up-Over 50 night songs and lullabies from Native American cultures are gathered in this unusual collection. From the Passamaquoddy "Song of the Stars" to the Mazatec "Words of Creation," the short texts convey themes of oneness with nature, the beauty of the night, and the transcendent spirit of the Creator. Bierhorst's sources, which are all cited, are primarily the work of ethnographers and musicologists, rather than today's Native American traditional singers. Quirky pastel and mixed-medium illustrations create a dreamlike sense of wonder that is just right for the prayerful material as well as the comforting lullabies. What is missing is the rhythmic and melodic context. As is true of most Native American songs, the lyrics are spare, often no more than four to six lines. While there is value in reading them and in comparing the heartfelt words of people as diverse as Arctic Inuit and natives of Peru, the true experience of these songs-many of which are sacred-is only hinted at. Still, for young readers and for anyone interested in native cultures, there is a sweet glimpse into the sensibilities of the diverse cultures that developed on our continent.
Carolyn Polese, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

As quiet as the wind "sweetly . . . rushing through the trees" and as soft as the song of the stars that "sing on the road of spirits," this remarkable collection will soothe and comfort young readers. The 50-plus poems are rooted in the worldviews of the 22 tribes from whose traditions they come. Tied to the rhythms of nature, respectful of the nuances of change, reverent toward the life they celebrate, the verses tell about creatures of the night--nighthawk, red fox, owl, black bats--about the "first father" who "grew from within the / original darkness" and about the moon woman who is part of "the expanse of the divine sea." As Bierhorst comments in a prefatory note, the poems portray the night as "a time for healing, a time when plants grow, and a time for creative awakening"; his selections are varied and beautifully sequenced. Pedersen ( Out in the Country ; The Yellow Button ) incorporates some Native American motifs in mixed media illustrations, but the results are sometimes stilted and do not consistently express the power and spirit of the evocative poems here. Ages 6-up.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.