Love Flute

I fell in love with this sweet story the first time I read it for a college project. I said, at the time, I would like to have this story to share with my children one day (once I was married with kids). Well, that day has come and I recently purchased the book to share with my children. My daughter loves the beautiful illustrations and I love the way the story lends itself to a kid-friendly dramatic reading. Plus, we all have learned about a touching Native American legend and shared in their culture. I would certainly recommend this book for children of all ages (possibly starting at age five and older).

This is a lovely little story worth reading and sharing. The character who can speak his love only through music touches something deep within the human spirit and human yearning. A sweet romance! What's great about this book, besides the illustration, is the detailed cultural commentary that describes how the love flute was used in courtship rituals. For older students, this information promotes historical mindedness and provokes meaningful discussion on cultural topics and cultural values. [Note: this courtship section, of course, is probably not appropriate for very young children, so parental guidance / discretion is recommended. For example, the author states, "Courtship was formal and carried out in front of everyone. There was little privacy in a tipi village; inside or outside the tipi, the only privacy was under a blanket, and what other people were polite not to hear or see." It's easy to identify this section of the book, though, because the print is in italics.] Another great feature of this book is the collection of flute drawings, which generate interest in the personal nature (and design) of the Native American Flute and its special relationships with it owner. This book would make an excellent tie-in to Native American studies---art, music, etc. For people who love and appreciate Native American flute music, this book might make an interesting little friendship gift. Parents who home school can use this book in concert with other Native American concepts to provide some cultural education / awareness / music studies for their older children. [For more exploration beyond the "love flute" book, you might google Odell Borg of High Spirit flutes. He is an excellent teacher of the Native American flute. His website offers more information about the very real instruments that people do play.]

It has been a while since I have come across a "new" Paul Goble book (meaning one that I have not seen). Usually in one of his illustrated stories taken from the Plains Indian culture you find out the origins of the story and the sources for Goble's attention to detail in his paintings in the back of the book. But for "Love Flute," the explanation comes up front, before the story. This is where we learn that the titular object was the courting flute, used only by men to play love songs, not just when they were courting but to serenade their wives. When a man died, his flute was wrapped with his body. Goble goes into detail regarding the courtship practices (e.g., the young man brings a large blanket so he can wrap himself and the girl he is wooing underneath it and have some relative privacy in the middle of the camp in plain view of everybody). However, the focus of "Love Flute" is not on such rich details, but rather on telling the story of the first courting flute. As Goble wryly observed, "men have always needed supernatural help to attract, and to keep, the women they love." This particular version of the story of how the love flute was given to the people is based on various myths, but most specifically one from the Santee Dakota. The story is of a shy young man who would rather face enemy warriors in battle or lead the dangerous buffalo hunt than speak to the girl he loved. He knew in his heart that he could never ever tell the young girl all he wanted to say. In despair the young man left the camp one morning and shot an arrow into the air without thinking about what he was doing. To his surprise the air stayed up in the air, pointing in a direction and leading him on at a walking pace. The young man knew that he was being guided by unseen powers and that something wonderful was going to happen (this particular legend is going to make more of an impression on adolescent students rather than the younger ones who would usually be enthralled by a Paul Goble book). The love flute is the gift of all of the birds and animals, and one of the things Goble does in telling and illustrating this story is to emphasize how the men of the Plains tribes woo women just like the birds and animals. A young man who was courting would be dressed up in his finest clothing, scenting and painting himself, copying the birds and animals. I have always been impressed by Goble's commitment to depicting the clothing and homes of these people, and items such as their flutes, and the fact that he always details his references. At the front of this book he lists the places around the (mostly) Plains states where he found the fifteen different flutes shown (these are pencil and ink drawings that run from the top to the bottom of a page, accompanying the text and colored illustrations, which continue to demonstrate Goble's wonderful stylized interpretation of the artwork of the Plains Indians. Even if you have not seen examples of such historic artwor

An enchanting tale of wonder and love. It is a beautiful story combining the magic of folklore with the magic of alternate forms of communication. Children love it for the magical content. Adults will love it for the sensitive introduction to Native American myth and legend.