April 1, 2015
K-Gr 2-Similar to Children's Press's "True Books" titles, this series offers the very basics. Each title is divided into about a dozen spreads, each of which focuses on a single subject (where a tribe lived, what it ate, gender roles, and so on). The verso contains the text while the recto features a captioned illustration. The text is rendered in a plain font and reads in short, declarative sentences. Occasional "Did You Know?" sidebars offer tidbits: "During stomp dances, women wore turtle shell rattles on their legs. Their movements helped set the beat." Unfortunately, for the most part, all of the important dates appear at the end of each title, so it is not immediately clear when these tribes first originated. Stunning, high-resolution photographs marry well with the text and make each title instantly attention-grabbing. VERDICT Simple and solid introductions.
Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
March 1, 2015
Grades 2-4 These attractively illustrated volumes introduces the culture, history, and presence today of individual Native American tribes. Each begins with the point that North America was once occupied by tribes with their own languages and customs and continues with a map of the titular tribe's original territory; descriptions of traditional homes, food, daily life, tools and/or artwork, storytelling, and spirit life; early encounters with Europeans; and the tribe today. Each includes a simplified time line and concludes with an image of a tribal member and a quotation. Most spreads consist of a paragraph or two of text set opposite an image with an explanatory caption. Simple sentences and familiar vocabulary make the reading easy but leave little room for specific details. Young readers may find it more interesting to compare the images in several volumes to see similarities and differences among the tribes. Chumash shows how members fished on the California coast and Channel Islands. Useful in early grades.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)