How Rabbit Tricked Otter

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ross, Gayle. 1994. HOW RABBIT TRICKED OWL AND OTHER CHEROKEE TRICKSTER STORIES. Illustrated by Murv Jacob. New York, NY: HarperCollins Children's Books. ISBN 0060212853

PLOT SUMMARY
A collection of 15 Cherokee stories that center around the mischievous rabbit. These stories have been told orally for generations and show how the rabbit is an important character in Cherokee traditions. These stories explain various attributes of animals such as why the otter has a long tail and why the deer has flat teeth.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
The Foreward for the book is written by Chief Wilma Mankiller who is the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. She writes about the importance of storytelling and how these stories are now preserved for future generations thanks to Ross and Jacob. The back flap of the book tells us that the author, Gayle Ross, is also a direct descendant of John Ross who was the principal chief of the Cherokee nations during the “Trail of Tears.” We also learn that the illustrator is of Kentucky-Cherokee descent. This adds to the authenticity of the book because both the writer and the illustrator are a part of the Cherokee culture.

A map at the beginning of the book shows where the land of the Cherokees and other Native Americans are in the United States. This shows readers that the Cherokee’s are just one of many tribes in the United States and might encourage them to learn more about some of their culture.

There is a little bit of native language used in the book. In “Rabbit Helps Wildcat Hunt Turkeys,” Rabbit has the turkey’s chant “Galagi ‘na hasuyak” over and over again. It is translated in the next line as “pick out your gobbler.” Another story that uses native language is “Rabbit Escapes From the Wolves.” Rabbit has the wolves sing “Tlage’situn’ gali’sgi’sida’ha Ha’nia lil! lil! Ha’nia lil! lil!” which is also translated in the next line to mean “on the edge of the field I dance about.” I think this use of native language adds to the authenticity of the book. It is not so much that it takes away from the stories, but it lets the reader know that the Cherokee have their own language and gives them an idea of what it sounds like.

These tales center on the Rabbit who is an important figure in Cherokee story-telling. He is known as the “trickster-hero.” The first story lets the reader know that the animals in the stories are not much different than humans, “in those days, the animals had a society that was organized very much like the people’s.” Children will enjoy the personification of the animals and how they interact with one another. The full-page illustrations show the animals dressed in traditional clothing. The illustration for each story explains an important part of the message for that story. In “Why Possum’s Tail is Bare” the illustration has Possum lying on his back on the ground with a long skinny tail.

Although each story can stand-alone, readers will enjoy the collection that includes stories of Rabbits triumphs and some of his follies.


REVIEW EXCERPTS
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: "Ross and Jacob, both of whom are of Cherokee descent, produce an unusually rich debut picture book in retelling 15 tales about Rabbit, a central figure in Cherokee storytelling... Unusual artwork presents textured still lifes, like tapestry wall-hangings; these convey both the history and morality of the stories and, at the same time, portray splendid detail. A handsome, informative collection."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Fifteen short, action-oriented tales about Rabbit, the Cherokee trickster hero... Traditional manners and morals, culture, and spirituality are lightly woven into the selections... Although the stories are a bit repetitive, all in all this is a sweet offering that will be an enjoyable addition to any collection."


CONNECTIONS
-Read other books by Gayle Ross:
HOW TURTLE’S BACK WAS CRACKED: A TRADITIONAL CHEROKEE TALE. ISBN 0803717282
THE LEGEND OF THE WINDIGO. ISBN: 08037178977

-Have students research other versions of one of these stories and see how they are similar and different.