CONTEMPORARY REALISTIC FICTION: DRAGON HOOPS

 THE FIRST STRAWBERRIES: A CHEROKEE STORY 

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bruchac, Joseph, and Anna Vojtech. THE FIRST STRAWBERRIES: A CHEROKEE STORY. Zaner-Bloser,1997. ISBN 9780803713321

2. PLOT SUMMARY

    At the beginning of the world, the Creator made a man and a woman, who married each other and lived together happily. However, one afternoon, the husband came back from hunting and saw his wife was picking flowers, instead of preparing their evening meal. He became angry, and told her coldly “I am hungry. Do you expect me to eat flowers?” The wife too grew angry, because she had picked the flowers to share their beauty with her husband. Telling him how his words hurt her, she decided she could not live with him any longer. Turning west, she began walking towards the Sun. The husband tried to follow her, but she was too quick, and when he called out to her, she could not hear him. The Sun watched the husband follow his wife, and saw how sorry the man was, so He decided to help the husband. The Sun shone down brightly upon the earth, right in front of the woman. Where the rays of sun shone, raspberries grew ripe and sweet, but in her anger and hurt, the Wife paid no attention. The Sun tried again, this time shining upon blueberries, but the woman continued on West, paying no attention to the berries, and farther from her husband who she could not hear calling her name. The Sun tried a third time, and blackberries grew, but the woman was so angry and hurt she did not see them. Finally, intent on helping the husband and wife, the Sun placed his brightest sun beams on the grass right in front of the woman’s feet, where strawberries grew. The woman instantly saw their beauty and had to stop to see what they were. Tasting one, she realized she had never tasted anything as sweet before, and it made her remember how happy she and her husband were before they had argued with each other. Thinking of her husband and the love she had for him, she began to pick strawberries to show to him. Her er husband caught up to his wife as she was still picking the strawberries, and he asked her for forgiveness for his hard words towards her. The wife forgave him by sharing the strawberries she had picked for him. It was in this way how strawberries came into the world.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS 

THE FIRST STRAWBERRIES: A CHEROKEE STORY is a retelling of a Cherokee legend, and one of the main themes of which is the importance treating others with kindness, respect and forgiving those who have hurt you. In the beginning of the story, when the husband realizes the harshness of his words and seeing how his words hurt his loved one so much that she left him:

“ The Sun watched as the husband followed her. The Sun saw how sorry the man was and took pity on him. “Are you still angry with your wife?” asked the Sun. “No,” said the man, “I was foolish to speak angry words. But I cannot catch her to tell her I am sorry.”

Even the youngest of readers can understand from the story the impact of keeping anger in one’s heart, and how anger and sadness can make regretful. While it is a short story with limited text, the words accurately depict each of the characters’ growing development through the story in moving, both literally and figuratively, from anger and conflict towards love and resolution.

The soft and bright watercolor illustrations portray cultural representations of the way of life that the Cherokee people lived in long ago, focusing on the different parts of their life, such as the importance of the land, nature, the characters home dwellings, and even their clothes. Through the gentle yet detailed illustrations, the pictures help bring to life the raw emotions on the character’s faces as the conflict plays out, as well as depicting the urgency of their movements throughout the story. The soft watercolors also fit well with depicting the beauty of nature in the afternoon sunlight, shining upon the the land that is important to them. Through these vivid illustrations, readers can reflect on their on experiences, such as their own time in nature, as well as memories of when they chose anger towards a loved one, and the results that followed. Overall, while the story itself has limited text, words carefully chosen to lead the reader to understand the story, the words used to bring the story to life along with the soft illustrations give the readers a powerful picture of the importance of understanding one another, and seeking forgiveness.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT (S)

    Publishers Weekly:

“This legend explains the origins of strawberries, grown by the sun to help the first man and woman patch a quarrel. "Spare text, an uncomplicated story line and gentle illustrations keep this quiet but resonant tale accessible to even the youngest child," said PW. Ages 4-8.”

   

Kirkus:

“…Quietly luminous watercolors capture details of dress, dwelling, implements, flora, and fauna against an open landscape of rolling hills. Small touches dramatize the story's moods: a bouquet of brown-eyed Susans flung to the ground in anger; an empty nest in a pine tree as the woman disappears behind the western hills; the glimmer of a single firefly as man and wife are reconciled. Complete harmony of text and pictures: altogether lovely.”

5. CONNECTIONS

Further Reading: 

Native American Legends 

• Powell, Patricia Hruby, et al. Zinnia: How the Corn Was Saved. ISBN 9781893354388

• Sherman, Patrice, and R. Gregory Christie. The Sun's Daughter. ISBN 9780618324309

More Native American books

• Goade, Michaela, et al. We Are Water Protectors. ISBN 9781250203557

• Robertson, Robbie, and David Shannon. Hiawatha and the Peacemaker. ISBN 9781419712203

• Smith, Cynthia Leitich. Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids. ISBN 9780062869944

• Sorell, Traci, and Frané Lessac. We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga. ISBN 9781430143796

• Sorell, Traci. We Are Still Here!: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know. ISBN9781430144670

Activities to pair with this book:

• Children can snack on Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, and discuss with them how the Native Americans used them in their daily lives

• Going On a Berry Hunt Rhyme with young readers- guide the children through the words and motions of walking through grass, picking up berries, walking in place. Connect with the story in how the Wife walked through the field, passed through different fields with berries. 

SDSU Extension Signature Program. https://extension.sdstate.edu/sites/default/files/2020-07/S-0008-00.pdf.