Kunu's Basket: A Story from Indian Island
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- 4,99 €
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- 4,99 €
Publisher Description
A Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choice of 2013
Reading Is Fundamental STEAM Collection
Kunu wants to make a pack basket, just like the other men on Indian Island.
But making the basket is difficult, and Kunu gets frustrated. He is ready to give up when his grandfather intervenes. This is not only a story about a family tradition, but also a story about learning to be patient and gentle with yourself.
A story about contemporary Native American life
This new paperback edition includes a new Author’s Note about the traditions and importance of basketmaking in Penobscot Nation culture.
Fountas & Pinnell Level N
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Kunu and his family live on the Penobscot Indian Island Reservation in Maine. When Kunu attempts to make a traditional Penobscot basket from ash strips, he is frustrated that it doesn't come easily to him. But with his grandfather's gentle encouragement ("Can you guess how many tries it took for me to get the bottom just right?.... Seven tries! Take your time, gwos, and try again"), Kunu slowly develops confidence. Joining Kunu's lesson in basket-weaving is one about his family's history: basket-making has been passed down from grandfathers and fathers in the tribe throughout the decades. First-time author Francis emphasizes the value of cultural heritage in a straightforward tone that is earnest without becoming pedantic. Also making her debut, Drucker offers naturalistic images of Kunu and his family bathed in soft, golden light. Details of Kunu's family's suburban home (Kunu's basket gets filled with toys, and he wears a pair of purple Crocs) are gracefully juxtaposed with images of baskets from eras past holding fish, berries, potatoes, ferns, and more, suggesting that longstanding cultural traditions can be readily integrated into a contemporary lifestyle. Ages 5 8.
