This lovely collection of tales from the tipi, collected
from many tribes and illustrated with the art of the times,
is beautifully presented. The art is colourful and lively,
horses, dogs, rabbits, buffalo and other creatures
inhabit every page. Each story in THE MAN WHO DREAMED OF
ELK DOGS is short and sheds light on the native people of
the Great Plains.
Whether a man who dreams of the first horses to run wild in
America, or a boy who was shown in a dream that dogs would
help his people, or a girl who was captured by a Ghoul that
intended to eat her, we meet a variety of resourceful,
creative people living a hard life. Nature is up close and
personal, in these days, food is hard to find and hard to
kill, weather can help or hinder survival. Common themes
include hunger, the family and the number four. A moral is
not pointed out but the reader is left to figure it out for
themselves; for instance befriending a wolf family helped a
traveler more than killing them would have.
The author Paul Goble points out that he has deliberately
not included any stories of war or revenge. Some tales may
have been told by more than one tribe, but each has been
attributed to the tribe which told it in the form used in
the book. The Plains culture and mythology are
respectfully represented, according to the foreword by
Lauren Wauhau-Villagomez of the Menominee Indians. Whether
a short story book for a young adult or a classroom text,
this collection deserves to be read and enjoyed.
In this beautifully illustrated book by award-winning author Paul Goble, readers can discover the fascinating story of how horses first appeared to the tribes of the American Plains. In his final collection of “stories from the tipi,” Goble features a collection of 23 traditional stories from the Blackfoot, Lakota, Assiniboin, Pawnee, and Cheyenne nations. This book features a foreword by Lauren “Candy” Waukau-Villagomez, an educator and author of works on the oral traditions and storytelling of the North American tribes