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CM . . .
. Volume VIII Number 20 . . . . June 6, 2002
Lelawala,
the Seneca chief's young daughter, is devastated when her mother is among
the many people in her village to die from the summer sickness. Until
then, the tribe had known peace and tranquility in their village upstream
from a great waterfall."The river was alive with fish, the fields swelled
with corn, and the meadows were covered with sweet berries. For as long
as Lelawala could remember, life had been good."
Life had been good because of the thunder
god, Hinu, who lives behind the waterfall and calls upon rain, thunder
and lightening to protect the people from huge, horned water snakes
that threaten them. When sickness comes to the village, sacrificial
canoes loaded with food and flowers are sent down the river and over
the falls to appease the snakes. But day after day, the sickness continues
to claim young and old alike. Lelawala decides to take matters into
her own hands by sacrificing her life in an act of free will, courage
and compassion. The battle between the brave warriors and the horned
serpent, and the ensuing victory of good over evil result in shaping
Niagara Falls as we know them today.
Lavishly illustrated by the author, the
story depends heavily upon the colour pencil illustrations to embellish
the limited, and ultimately unsatisfying, text. Charles compresses the
action into one or two sentences at the expense of drama, action and
character development. The text is simplified for a younger audience,
but not enough substance and drama remain to captivate the reader's
imagination. What a shame, since the "Author's Note on the Origins of
the Legend" at the end of the book depicts a story that is so full of
promise. The legend, itself, is rich in content and drama, and with
added substance, it could easily have been a storyteller's dream.
How unfortunate that this picture book
is a feast for the eyes, but provides so little music to the ears. Did
Charles oversimplify the tale to make it appealing to a preschool audience?
Consider this passage:
When the water cleared
from Lelawala's eyes, she saw that she was inside a cave. A figure knelt
beside her. "I am the son of Hinu," he said. "Stay and take me for your
husband."
Charles' other folklore-based books,
The Crane Girl, Stretch, Swallow & Stare and Necklace
of Stars, successfully blend text and illustrations in a satisfying
way. Her "Easy-to-Read Spooky Tales" series are humourous paperbacks
for beginning readers. Perhaps Charles will consider using the same
illustrations with a revised script aimed at a slightly older audience
and breathe some life into this promising Native legend.
Recommended with reservations. Carole
Marion is a Branch Librarian at Calgary Public Library's newest branch,
Shawnessy Library. She has been working with youth and their caregivers
for over eighteen years.
To comment on this
title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.
Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal
use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other
reproduction is prohibited without permission.
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