Description
Coyote Tales is an ideal reader for beginners as this chapter book takes two previously published picture books by storyteller and humourist Thomas King. This title contains Coyote Sings to the Moon and Coyote's New Suit with black and white drawings by Byron Eggenschwiler and tells how trickster can play tricks on others and how he can also be shown the errors of his behaviors. In Coyote Sings to the Moon Old Woman and all the other animals revel in singing to the Moon, Coyote lends his voice to the efforts. While everyone else recognizes Coyote's distinct lack of singing ability, Coyote continues his baleful howls to the Moon. Old Woman warns Coyote that his awful singing will drive Moon away and the warning comes true. Moon retreats to the bottom of the pond where she spends her time playing chess with the fish. Back on land Old Woman and the animals hatch a plan to bring Moon back to her rightful place in the night's sky. Of course Coyote gets involved too. It takes all of Old Woman's wisdom to outsmart Coyote but finally Moon returns to the sky. But it takes a Coyote's singing to keep Moon there. In Coyote’s New Suit, mischievous Raven wreaks havoc when she suggests that Coyote’s toasty brown suit is not the finest in the forest, thus prompting him to steal suits belonging to all the other animals. Meanwhile, Raven tells the other animals to borrow clothes from the humans’ camp. When Coyote finds that his closet is too full, Raven slyly suggests he hold a yard sale, then sends the human beings (in their underwear) and the animals (in their ill-fitting human clothes) along for the fun. A hilarious illustration of the consequences of wanting more than we need. Two fun-filled stories about tricksters for young readers from a master storyteller. Highly recommended. Coyote Tales has been selected in the Children’s Category Longlist for First Nation Communities READ 2018