The Legend Of The Bluebonnet
The Legend Of The Bluebonnet retold and illustrated by Tomie DePaola
This Comanche Indian story starts with dancers begging the gods for rain as their people are starving and dying. They danced for three days and begged for healing rain after a harsh winter. A young girl named She Who Is Alone spoke to her cherished doll and asked it what they could do to help this drought. The girl received her name when all of her family had died from the drought, she called upon her family's spirits to help her end the drought. The tribe leader then hears from the spirits and tell the people that they have become selfish and must sacrifice their most cherished valuables in order to end the drought. The people didn't do as the spirits asked, except one girl She Who Is Alone. She gave up her doll, the only possession she had left reminding her of her lost family. The next morning every field was covered in BlueBonnets. This is significant because her father gave her a bluejay feather for her doll before they died. Every spring the great spirits remember her sacrifice and bless the people with fields of Bluebonnets. This story is great for students living in Texas. There is even a bluebonnet festival which this book can be read during or before it. This story also gives insight into some of the culture expressed by the Comanche people and the values they had. The illustrations remind me of ancient cave paintings and offer a sense of rich history while reading the book.
This Comanche Indian story starts with dancers begging the gods for rain as their people are starving and dying. They danced for three days and begged for healing rain after a harsh winter. A young girl named She Who Is Alone spoke to her cherished doll and asked it what they could do to help this drought. The girl received her name when all of her family had died from the drought, she called upon her family's spirits to help her end the drought. The tribe leader then hears from the spirits and tell the people that they have become selfish and must sacrifice their most cherished valuables in order to end the drought. The people didn't do as the spirits asked, except one girl She Who Is Alone. She gave up her doll, the only possession she had left reminding her of her lost family. The next morning every field was covered in BlueBonnets. This is significant because her father gave her a bluejay feather for her doll before they died. Every spring the great spirits remember her sacrifice and bless the people with fields of Bluebonnets. This story is great for students living in Texas. There is even a bluebonnet festival which this book can be read during or before it. This story also gives insight into some of the culture expressed by the Comanche people and the values they had. The illustrations remind me of ancient cave paintings and offer a sense of rich history while reading the book.
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