The Woman Who Lived With Wolves and Other Stories from the Tipi
Written and Illustrated by Paul Goble
Paul Goble presents the philosophy and life-wisdom of a culture through simply stated stories that even a fourth grader would enjoy.And in the reading of the stories some of the thoughts rub off on the reader.
We love animals. A quote from Brave Buffalo, Lakota, shows the Native American belief that there can be communication between species, but “we must do the greater part in securing an understanding.” The birds and animals speak in their tongue, we have to work to understand, as the ancient people did.
“Warned By an Owl” is a story that demonstrates this understanding. An old arrow maker lived by himself. One night, as he was working at an arrow, he heard an owl hoot, and heeded the warning. The enemy warrior spying on him had not a chance.
There are twenty six stories in this collection; stories of of adventure and bravery, hardship and strength. Some are short, others longer. All beg to be read aloud. The author tells us that there are four types of stories:
1) Stories that entertain, such as “Turtle Goes to War”
2) Stories that tell the people’s history, such as “The Hill Where the Crows Danced”
3) Origin stories, such as “The First Horse”
4) Stories that tell of the sacred rites and ceremonies such as “Thunder Pipe”.
The underlying theme is the oneness of all creation.
Beautiful illustrations create a oneness between the words and the art. The style suits the story, and carries us effortlessly into the land of the Buffalo Eaters.
Additional Resources:
Slideshow: http://www.worldwisdom.com/public/slideshows/view.aspx?SlideShowID=24
Author Biography: http://monet.unk.edu/mona/contemp/goble/goble.html
Title: The Woman Who Lived With Wolves and Other Stories from the Tipi- Author and Illustrator: Paul Goble
- Publisher: World Wisdom
- Reviewer: Anjali Amit
- Hardback: 44 pages
- ISBN: 978-1-935493-20-4
- Genre: Picture Book/Social Studies
- Lexile Score: 930
