Is My Friend at Home?: Peublo Fireside Tales

"In the evening the Sun touches the ocean in the west and climbs down the long ladder to the underworld. Then he sets out on his underground journey to the sunrise place in the east. Up above, now that the world is dark, the time has come for people to light fires and tell stories." Join John Bierhorst at the crackling campfire as he retells seven Pueblo fireside tales. These are stories that just beg to be read aloud. Each short and engaging tale centers around the theme of friendship, and is rich in Native American insight, wisdom, and humor. Wendy Watson's charming and expressive cartoon-like artwork, in quiet, subdued desert earth-tones, complement each story beautifully, and bring the endearing cast of animal characters to life. Find out why Coyote has short ears, how Snake lost his only friend, why peaches are sweet, and how Bee learned to fly... Perfect for youngsters 5-10, Is My Friend At Home? is a marvelous collection the entire family can read and share together. "The Sun has come to the end of his underground journey. As he climbs up the ladder to the sunrise place, he puts on the skin of a gray fox, and white dawn comes up. "Ha!" he cries and he puts on the skin of a yellow fox, and yellow dawn comes up. He steps out of the underworld. It becomes morning. No more storytelling until nightfall."

We got this book out of the library and ended up buying a copy as the tales are worth many repeat visits. The stores about different kinds of friendship are charming but what really catches our attention is the language. It is clear for young children to understand but is ever so slightly different -- as if spoken by someone translating into English or someone using a different 'flavor' of English. It really adds to the sense that these are Native American tales. The illustrations are detailed and very attractive with lots of things for listner to explore while letting the words soak in.