Although I have been lucky in many of my
illustrators, normally I have no choice in their
selection. For this book, Clarion gave me
the artist for whom I begged -- with
spectacular results. Let me quote the
starred review in the School Library Journal:
"McLerran's elegant, spare text begins by
describing the result of white settlers'
relentless westward movement in the U.S...
[Paiute visionaries] dreamed that if Native
peoples danced, the white people would
disappear and the ghosts of the wildlife that
had been decimated would return. . . .
[A]ttempts at coming together in a sacred,
non-violent ceremony ended in violence to the
Native Americans, as their actions were interpreted as warlike.
McLerran encourages readers to hold on to the vision of the Dance,
and to unite across the boundaries of culture and politics that we have created,
to heal the world...
[Morin's] evocative paintings...
glow with the golden colors of the sun-drenched prairie,
and exhibit a dramatic use of light. . .
This stunning book will hold great appeal for environmentally
conscious readers...."
The story of this vision has always moved me. I hope I have told it in a way that will move others. The Children's Book Council named this a Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies for 1996; it is now out in paperback as well as hardcover. The text of this book reads aloud so well that, with the help of a friend in the theater, and input from helpful 5th-grade students who worked with early drafts of the script, I developed a readers-theater script that is available for use in the schools. Learning to bring out the dramatic potential of a written text can be exciting -- and the process leads to a deeper understanding of the material. Teachers who might want to let their students enjoy this experience can request the script (email me at alicemclerran@mac.com, or click here).
|