BIBLIOGRAPHY
Goble, Paul. 1998. Iktomi and the Coyote. New York: Orchard Books. ISBN: 0-531-33108-3
PLOT SUMMARY
On his way to tell stories to the children, Iktomi is distracted by his hunger. He tricks some prairie dogs into becoming his dinner. As he selfishly sets out to eat them all, Coyote outwits him and takes the feast to share with the other animals.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In Lakota folklore, Iktomi is a trickster and a hero. He is a mirror of human nature, both positive and negative. He takes on many forms and meanings throughout the lore. In some tales, he is the Creators Helper, bringing gifts to the people like fire and tipis. Iktomi stories are still created and repeated to demonstrate the human nature today. In this story, set in modern time, Iktomi is vain and easily distracted. In a selfish moment Iktomi refuses to share his feast with Coyote. Then he is tricked out of his dinner and Coyote shares the feast with all the animals; everyone but Iktomi eats their fill. Moral of the story is it is best to share, lest you have nothing. This tale also explains why prairie dogs' tails are singed.
In this telling, Iktomi is dressed up in his finest traditional clothes and drawn with short hair (perhaps referring to his contemporary existence). He carries many books about himself, boasting his fame. Iktomi’s ego is cleverly expressed through the illustrations. He is larger than the other elements of the pictures; he looks down on them. As he loses ground with Coyote, he becomes smaller and his fancy clothing disappears until he is left with just his shirt to shelter him from the rain –and a deflated ego. Goble’s subtle but effective illustrations add depth to the story and give the audience opportunities to interact. Narrator comments are printed in italics and should be addressed to the listener, encouraging them to make their own remarks about the action. These asides, combined with Ikotmi’s own comments, energize the audience and revive the oral tradition. Modern and traditional cultural elements join plenty of humor to bring the ages together in this tale of modern Iktomi.
Goble points out in his introduction that in Buffalo Days the stories about Iktomi reflected different aspects of human nature. Unfortunately, modern stories about Iktomi represent him primarily as the Trickster, forgetting that he was once a powerful force for good that helped create the land and taught humans how to make fire and tipis. Goble’s intention behind illustrating indigenous folklore is to make Native American traditions understandable to children of all origins while retaining the original integrity of the story.
FEATURED AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR
“Mr. Goble has illustrated over 30 books. He has given his entire collection of original illustrations to the South Dakota Art Museum in Brookings, South Dakota. A native of England, he has lived in the United States since 1977 and became a citizen in 1984. His illustrations accurately depict Native American clothing, customs and surroundings in brilliant color and detail. Goble researches ancient stories and retells them for his young audiences in a manner sympathetic to Native American ways. Paul Goble's books have won praise from the American Library Association, the National Council of Social Studies, the International Reading Association, and the Children's Book Council. His has received the Library of Congress' Children's Book of the Year award and his books have been chosen by Reading Rainbow."http://www.worldwisdom.com/public/authors/Paul-Goble.aspx
Paul Goble has received several awards for his literary works:
Caldecott Medal (1979) The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
Regina Medal (2006)
Children’s Choice (2004)
REVIEW EXCERPT
“His art is tremendous because he is able to recreate the traditional forms with great accuracy and detail. The designs he draws are completely authentic and his colors are the same ones that were used by the old-timers before the reservation days. He is able to recreate the spirit of the old stories with his illustrations and his words.”
—Joe Medicine Crow, Crow Tribal Historian, and oldest living member of the Crow Tribe http://www.worldwisdom.com
CONNECTIONS
This book is intended to be read aloud. Use the (narrator comments) embedded in the story to spark conversation among the audience; such as a spontaneous biology lesson about prairie dogs. Better yet, invite a professional Native American storyteller to perform.
Lakota Tribe
Facts for Kids: Sioux Indians (Lakota and Dakota)
Storytelling is very important to the Sioux Indian culture. There are lots of traditional Sioux legends and fairy tales here. http://www.bigorrin.org/sioux_kids.htm
http://www.lakhota.com/online/kids/ -Read Lakota stories aloud. Print out coloring pages and browse more Lakota Children's Books!
http://www.firstpeople.us/ -First People website is a promising collection of Native folklore, photographs, art, and literature of members of the First Nations.
Iktomi
Who is Iktomi? What does he represent? How does his role translate for today’s society? What other names does he have? Do a class research project to find out. Make an Iktomi art project representing the group’s interpretation of this legendary character. …There is a prophecy that Iktomi would spread his web over the land; could that mean the telephone and internet networks and the global web? (http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Iktomi).
Read other Iktomi tales by Paul Goble. Compare and contrast Paul’s stories with the original folklore. Make an Iktomi tale of your own.
Iktomi Adventures by Paul Goble:
Iktomi Loses His Eyes 1999
Iktomi and the Coyote 1998
Iktomi and the Buzzard 1994
Iktomi & the Buffalo Skull 1991
Iktomi and the Ducks 1990
Iktomi and the Berries 1989
Iktomi and the Boulder 1988
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