Book Review for How Chipmunk Got His Stripes

Book Review by Allie Davis
MLIS 5603 Literature for Children and Young Adults

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bruchac, Joseph and James Bruchac. 2001. How Chipmunk Got His Stripes. Ill. by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey. New York, Dial Books. ISBN 0803724047

PLOT SUMMARY
     During the fall season in the forest, Bear is boasting about his strength, largeness, and how he can do anything.  Brown Squirrel asks him if he can really do anything, specifically if he can make the sun not come up in the morning.  Bear says that since he is Bear, he can do anything, so he tells the sun, "Do not come up tomorrow."  He fully expects it not to.  The rising actions continue as Bear and Squirrel sing to each other, "The sun will not come up, Hummph!" and "The sun is going to rise, Oooh!" The climax of the story occurs when the sun does come up, and Squirrel teases Bear, "Bear is foolish, the sun came up."  As the resolution approaches, Bear chases Squirrel to his home, scratching his sharp claws down Squirrel's back. These scratches heal, but leave a permanent scar, from which he becomes Chipmunk, the first to rise every morning and sing, "The sun came up."

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
     The wonder of early oral tales emerges through the dialogue between Bear and Squirrel. The opening is reminiscent of these oral tales as the reader is drawn into "One Autumn day long ago..." and feels the closure of the story as the storytellers end with "And ever since then..." Also characteristic of a traditional tale, repetition is used throughout, most evident in the songs the main characters sing to each other.  Two universal themes emerge from this traditional Native American tale retold by the Bruchacs.  They are both stated indirectly rather than implied.  Squirrel's grandmother had taught him that it was not good to tease others when they are wrong.  Because of his excitement in the sun coming up, he teases Bear and forgets her words, "But when someone else is wrong, it is not a good idea to tease him."  Squirrel suffers a physical wound that heals, but the scars left behind are a permanent reminder of what he himself had done wrong.  The other theme is found at the end of the story, and is part of the lesson that Bear learns.  He might be the strongest and biggest animal, but "No one, not even Bear, can do everything."  In the end, his boasting causes his downfall, not only in the eyes of Squirrel, but also the other animals like Fox, Wolf, Deer, Moose, and others, who are watching to see if he really can do what he says. 
     The illustrations created for this retelling are quite colorful, done in watercolor style with bold accents to emphasize the outlines of the animals' features such as Bear's teeth and Squirrel's tail.  Interesting and beautiful in a simplistic way, Native American culture is evident through the use of nature as a setting and animals as the main characters.  These speaking animals, wonderfully developed in colored detail, easily hold a child's attention, especially if the story is told in reader's theater style.  Reader's theater style could easily be accomplished as the main animal characters are written in simply as their animal names. 

AWARDS

·       None

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

·       Horn Book Guide, "This Native American tale is great for storytelling..." © Copyright October 1, 2001.
·       Publisher’s Weekly "..."Though the prose occasionally falters, the dialogue is effective and invites audience participation, especially the repeated phrases with sound effects..." © Copyright January 15, 2001.
·       Booklist, "This retelling of a traditional Native American story teaches lessons about anger and pride..."  © Copyright January1, 2001.
·       School Library Journal, "A priority purchase for most collections..." © Copyright February 1, 2001.
·       Chicago Tribune, May 6, 2001.
·       San Francisco Chronicle, November 18, 2001.

CONNECTIONS

Gather other Native American books to read such as:
·       How Eagle Got His Good Eyes by Oscar Blackburn School Students, ISBN 087406743X
·       The Magic Weaver of Rugs by Jerrie Oughton, ISBN 0395661404
·       How Chipmunk Got Tiny Feet: Native American Animal Origin Stories, by Gerald Hausman ISBN 0970911262

Gather other Joseph Bruchac books to read such as:

·       The Trail of Tears, ISBN 0679890521
·       The First Strawberries, ISBN 0140564098
·       Turtle's Race with Beaver, ISBN 0142404667

Use as an introduction to oral storytelling, reader's theater, Native American tales, animals, and nature.
https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=23137&a=1
https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Bruchac/e/B001H6KFWE/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
https://prezi.com/lgbegghdf6ck/unit-2-lesson-9-day-1-how-chipmunk-got-his-stripes/