Pushing up the Sky

March 1, 2000
Gr 2-5-Anyone looking for an unusual way to introduce Native American cultures and stories might try this collection. The scripts are based on tales from the Abenaki, Ojibway, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Snohomish, Tlingit, and Zuni and are accompanied by brief introductions to each tribe and its culture. Many Native words and phrases are included in the dialogues, along with helpful pronunciations. The short, simple scripts are accessible to young, inexperienced actors. The casts include speaking and nonspeaking parts that can be adjusted to group needs. Suggestions are given for easy-to-make costumes, props, and scenery. A variety of pen-and-ink drawings illustrate the plays, as well as one lively gouache illustration per selection. Through color and style, the paintings reflect the regions and cultures of the tribes and add to readers' appreciation and understanding of the atmosphere and setting.-Darcy Schild, Schwegler Elementary School, Lawrence, KS

Copyright 2000 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2000
Gr. 2^-6. Bruchac adapts seven traditional tales from various tribes into plays for children. Each play is introduced with a brief tribal background, a list of characters, suggestions for props and scenery, and recommended costumes. Representing tribes from Bruchac's own Abenaki to the Cherokee, Tlingit, and Zuni, the plays are mostly "pourquoi" tales, explaining how mosquitos came into the world or why stars are visible at night. Black-and-white drawings, contributed by Teresa Flavin, suggest backdrops and enhance the reader's enjoyment. Easily modified for various numbers of children, and easily produced with everyday materials, these plays offer an excellent extension of American Indian studies for elementary students as well as models for student writing. Performance and photocopying rights are granted for school and home performances as long as no admittance fees are charged. ((Reviewed March 1, 2000))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2000, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2000
Bruchac has rewritten seven Native American folktales as easily performed plays for classroom production, complete with stage directions and suggestions for making props and costumes. The simplified stories lack much of the flavor of the originals but are suited to elementary theatricals. Ink line drawings help set the scene and give a bit more context for the plays.

(Copyright 2000 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)