When the Jaguars Ate the Moon (Hc)

Alphabetically arranged stories, drawn from twenty-five distinct cultures, introduce young readers to more than one hundred animals and plants indigenous to the Americas. By the author-illustrator of On the Pampas. Jr Lib Guild.

Grade 1-4?A lovely collection of short folktales from all over the Americas, from Argentina to northern Canada. Each one is printed in readable type, mostly on one page. Each story has something to do with a letter of the alphabet, which is shown very large on the page; several American animals and plants that begin with that letter are included. An illustration accompanies each tale, and the name of the cultural tradition from which it comes is listed at the bottom of the page. An introduction talks about the theme of the book, and at the end, sources for each selection are given. A map of the Americas shows the location of each group of people. The watercolor and ink paintings are charming and interesting, and are a perfect match for the tales. The retellings are short, but each makes a complete story, and any of them would be enjoyed by listeners. This collection deserves a place in any library?it is a joy to see such a well-made book.?JoAnn Rees, Sunnyvale Public Library, CA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Featuring animals and plants, this well- researched compendium of traditional Native American tales tunes into contemporary concern for biodiversity and multiculturalism. Single-page stories condense a smorgasbord of anecdotes, myths and folktales into appetizing morsels. Arranged alphabetically, species from anteaters to zompopos run away with the show: an eerie lunar eclipse occurs when jaguars take bites out of the moon; land-dwelling Whale is banished to the ocean for "always swallowing people, animals, trees and even whole towns"; Coyote, shutting the door on a spirit trying to return to life, changes death from a temporary to a permanent state. Although Brusca and Wilson's (coauthors of The Blacksmith and the Devil) storytelling sometimes lacks force and focus, a certain power mounts with the subtle building of themes about the equality of people and animals and the interdependence of humans and nature. Each tale identifies the people and geographical region of its origin; framing each already colorful spread are small, detailed illustrations of indigenous flora and fauna. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 2^-4, younger for reading aloud. Illustrated with several colorful pictures on each page, this alphabetically arranged anthology features stories based on the folklore of North and South American native cultures. A typical page has a wide, horizontal border with a letter in large type and several small pictures of animals and plants whose names begin with that letter. Enclosed within the border is the story, along with a larger line-and-watercolor-wash painting. Although the page layout sometimes looks crowded, the lively illustrations will appeal to children. A brief note identifies the story's source people and their locale. Occasionally the text seems more like summarization than storytelling, but teachers will find most of the material, many pourquoi tales, good enough to read aloud in the classroom. According to the author, the tales derive from anecdotes, very short stories, and episodes from longer stories and myths. Appended notes briefly comment on each story, and a selected bibliography notes the sources, both English and Spanish. Carolyn Phelan