Product Description

As the moon waxes and wanes, her cycles set a pattern of life for those who live beneath her silver glow. For the Northern Algonquians in precolonial America, these rhythms served to measure out the year. January's Hard Times Moon means biting winds and long nights, and February's moon brings the big snow. Now animals and people alike search for food; the land is locked in a deep, icy cold. But by the April and May moons, one can fish at night by torchlight and leave the wigwam door open to the rising sun in the east. Soon the summer moons of planting and ripening will guide the daily work of the tribe. Then come the fertile autumn moons of harvesting to ready the people for yet another hard winter. In graceful prose and stunning scratchboard illustrations, Michael McCurdy follows the important path the moon made in Algonquian lives. He brings to life the seasonal cycles of work, play, and survival a busy and fulfilling year punctuated by the beauty of the full moon.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1027799 in Books
• Published on: 2000-08-29
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From Publishers Weekly
McCurdy's finely wrought scratchboard illustrations are the backbone of this lovely picture book, which tracks the central activities of the Northeastern Algonquians month by month. He traces the cycle of the year for the confederation of tribes (from Micmac to Abenaki) that constitute the Algonquian people, from January's "Hard Times Moon," when families hunker down in dome-shaped wigwams to survive the harsh weather; through March's "Sap Moon," when maple syrup is harvested; June's "Strawberry Moon," when old women and children "sit on the warm ground and pluck the delicate fruit with great care"; and November's "Beaver Moon," when traps set for the animals yield meat and warm clothing. The clean, elegant lines of McCurdy's informative prose echo the bold cross-hatching and linear detail of his artwork; he frames resonant black-and-white vignettes, united by a recurring lunar motif, with a brick red border. This handsome book offers a realistic glimpse of everyday life before the arrival of white settlers. Ages 6-10. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5-In his introduction, McCurdy clearly states that his purpose is to describe a "year as it would have been lived before the arrival of white settlers-[concentrating on] Algonquian tribes found in the northeast of what is now Canada and the United States." The information is consistent with other books on these peoples, presenting typical recurring activities and the ongoing struggle for survival. An excellent, full-page scratchboard illustration accompanies the description of each month. Unfortunately, the use of present tense throughout the narrative dilutes the historical focus and becomes confusing when phrases like "the game we now call lacrosse" or "what will someday be called New Brunswick" accompany descriptions of events and activities. Similarly, McCurdy's map of the tribes provides only subtle outlines of the current northeastern states, but the presence of contemporary geographic names in the text suggests that the pre-contact Algonquians used terms like "New England" and "Massachusetts." Despite its shortcomings, this is a beautiful book that would be best used in a classroom or with adult intervention.-Sean George, St. Charles Parish Library, Luling, LA MCGILL, Alice, col. In the Hollow of Your Hand: Slave Lullabies. illus. by Michael Cummings. unpaged. with CD. score. CIP. Houghton. 2000. Tr $18. ISBN 0-395-85755-4. LC 97-20269. PreSchool-Grade 5-This collection includes songs of hope as well as haunting refrains of people being sold. From the reassuring "Great Big Dog" to the nonsense of "Rock de Cradle, Joe," the 13 selections reflect some aspect of a life lived under slavery. The words to each lullaby (and the explanation of its origin) are accompanied by vibrant mixed-media collage illustrations. Music appears in the back of the book. Although the accompanying CD does not follow the text exactly, the clear tones and the soft melodies provided by guitar, fiddle, banjo, and percussion bring much listening pleasure. Sing these songs with younger children or explore them more deeply with an older crowd. Both will result in a rewarding experience.
Anne Knickerbocker, Cedar Brook Elementary School, Houston, TX
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 4-6, younger for reading aloud. Like many Native Americans, Northern Algonquians marked their year by full moons, rather than months. Starting with the "Hard Times" moon during what future European colonists would call January, this pictorial overview moves chronologically through the year to the "Tomcod Moon" (December). With one full-page illustration and two or three paragraphs of text, each monthly entry describes the influence of climate and terrain on the Algonquians' activities, shelter, and cuisine. An introduction explains the possible origins of the word "Algonquian," outlines their geographical distribution, and explains the regional variations in naming full moons. A simple but useful map and a short bibliography are appended. The handsome scratchboard art frequently illustrates items mentioned in the narrative and portrays the Algonquians with great dignity, but its somber tone will limit child appeal. Of particular interest to New England libraries, this will also supplement larger American Indian collections. Linda Perkins
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved