Description
How Chipmunk Got His Stripes: A Tale of Bragging and Teasing by Abenaki storytellers Joseph and James Bruchac retells a traditional Woodland legend about boasting and teasing. The father and son team has heard this story from Mohawk, Abenaki, Seneca, and Cherokee storytellers and sources. Over the years their storytelling to audiences of school children has resulted in this humourous retelling. Long ago, Bear was proud and boastful and believed he was more powerful than the sun. Bear's boasting prompted little Brown Squirrel to challenge Bear's boast when he asked Bear to prevent the sun from rising the next morning. Bear accepts and the pair awaits the morning. All the other animals join the wait and suddenly the sky begins to turn red in the east. Then the sun rises and Bear is devastated and embarrassed in front of all the animals. Brown Squirrel forgets his grandmother's teaching about bullying and teasing and calls Bear silly, foolish and stupid. Bear becomes angry and lashes out at Brown Squirrel pinning the tiny animal with his powerful paw. Squirrel pretends to apologize and escapes but Bear quickly rakes his powerful claw across Squirrel's back. Brown Squirrel successfully retreats to his family's den but his back has been scratched. Next summer Brown Squirrel's back now has pale scars over his back and he is forever after known as Chipmunk, the striped one. The colourful cartoon-like illustrations combined with the effective dialogue make this a great read aloud choice for primary grades. The lessons inherent in the story make this book an appropriate resource for issues relating to bullying and teasing. A recommended Character Education title. ATOS Reading Level: 2.9; Reading Level: 2.5; Guided Reading Level: J; Lexile Measure: 260