Zinnia: How the Corn Was Saved
A story of adventure! When the Navajo people are on the brink of a devastating famine, the boy Red Bird is sent to ask Spider Woman for her help. On his journey he encounters a lizard, a Gila monster, a snake, and a flock of sun-yellow birds. Will they help Red Bird find Spider Woman in time to save the crops?\ \ \ A retelling of the Indian legend which explains why the Navajo always plant a scattering of zinnia flowers among their food crops and respect every spider.\
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A story of adventure! When the Navajo people are on the brink of a devastating famine, the boy Red Bird is sent to ask Spider Woman for her help. On his journey he encounters a lizard, a Gila monster, a snake, and a flock of sun-yellow birds. Will they help Red Bird find Spider Woman in time to save the crops? School Library Journal Gr 1-5-In this graceful retelling of a well-known Navajo folktale, a boy is sent to find Spider Woman to ask her how to save his people's crops. Along the way, Red Bird unwittingly disturbs a spider on her web. He meets several different desert animals and asks each one for directions. After climbing in and out of a canyon and circling back to where he started, he finds Spider Woman, who is angry that he did not notice her before. He appeases her with pleasant words, and she advises him that his people should plant zinnias along with their vegetables. The quiet tone and spare plot are true to the style of many Native American tales, and this version is not cluttered with modern additions. Written in both Navajo and English, the text is gorgeously illustrated. The stylized artwork features rich colors and bold shapes with soft outlines. Both the palette and the lines evoke the Southwest. Using varying and unusual points of view, Benally effectively shows the many shapes of the terrain. The author details her sources as well, describing how the Navajo hold their stories sacred. A stunning work.-Cris Riedel, Ellis B. Hyde Elementary School, Dansville, NY Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
\ School Library JournalGr 1-5-In this graceful retelling of a well-known Navajo folktale, a boy is sent to find Spider Woman to ask her how to save his people's crops. Along the way, Red Bird unwittingly disturbs a spider on her web. He meets several different desert animals and asks each one for directions. After climbing in and out of a canyon and circling back to where he started, he finds Spider Woman, who is angry that he did not notice her before. He appeases her with pleasant words, and she advises him that his people should plant zinnias along with their vegetables. The quiet tone and spare plot are true to the style of many Native American tales, and this version is not cluttered with modern additions. Written in both Navajo and English, the text is gorgeously illustrated. The stylized artwork features rich colors and bold shapes with soft outlines. Both the palette and the lines evoke the Southwest. Using varying and unusual points of view, Benally effectively shows the many shapes of the terrain. The author details her sources as well, describing how the Navajo hold their stories sacred. A stunning work.-Cris Riedel, Ellis B. Hyde Elementary School, Dansville, NY Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.\ \
