Grandmother Spider Brings the Sun: A Cherokee Story

Rating:
Summary: But it is NOT Cherokee
Review: This could have been a good book except for the fact that the author claimed it is Cherokee. Cherokee stories do not have coyote as a character. The author should perhaps stick to Navajo stories from her own heritage, or relate stories from other cultures more accurately.

Rating:
Summary: But it is NOT Cherokee
Review: This could have been a good book except for the fact that the author claimed it is Cherokee. Cherokee stories do not have coyote as a character. The author should perhaps stick to Navajo stories from her own heritage, or relate stories from other cultures more accurately.

Rating:
Summary: Grandmother Spider Brings the Sun
Review: This is a wonderful telling of a truly Cherokee tale. Most stories written after the oral tradition can be a litte stale. Keams avoids this by modernizing the language for her younger readers. The Coyote, btw, comes from the Western Cherokee, after the removal. I was told this story as a child by my Western Cherokee Grandfather with the Coyote, and by my Eastern Tribes Grandmother without it. It would be correct either way. All in all, a wonderful retelling.

Rating:
Summary: Grandmother Spider Brings the Sun
Review: This marvelous story of how tiny and ancient Grandmothe Spider successfully brings the sun, something larger and more spritely animals before her could not accomplish, was written to be read aloud. Instead of the usual stereotypical "ancient legend storyelling" literary style we often see with retelling of traditional tales, this legend is refreshingly written in a colloquial manner. This style, as well as the two-page layout with text on one side, makes this an excellent book to read aloud. The textures and colors and expressive animal illustrations can be shown to their best advantage. My boys love all the animal pictures, the humor, and the exciting fire-spouting Sun Guard monsters! We return again and again to see and hear the sweet-faced but proud and determined Grandma Spider as she demonstrates why she is so respected and revered.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful to Read Aloud
Review: This marvelous story of how tiny and ancient Grandmothe Spider successfully brings the sun, something larger and more spritely animals before her could not accomplish, was written to be read aloud. Instead of the usual stereotypical "ancient legend storyelling" literary style we often see with retelling of traditional tales, this legend is refreshingly written in a colloquial manner. This style, as well as the two-page layout with text on one side, makes this an excellent book to read aloud. The textures and colors and expressive animal illustrations can be shown to their best advantage. My boys love all the animal pictures, the humor, and the exciting fire-spouting Sun Guard monsters! We return again and again to see and hear the sweet-faced but proud and determined Grandma Spider as she demonstrates why she is so respected and revered.