Coyote in Love

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 28 APR. 1997

The legendary Coyote falls hopelessly in love in this meager and rather melancholy Native American tale, which explains how Crater Lake in Oregon came to be. Not only is Coyote's love unrequited, but the object of his desire, a blue star, is responsible for the smitten creature's demise. When he leaps up to the sky and latches onto her, the scornful star sends him crashing onto a mountaintop, where his relentless crying creates the lake. The hapless creature presumably drowns in his own tears, a finale that kids may find unsettling. Changes in the type's color, size and alignment playfully add emphasis, as when the lofty star rejects Coyote with a bold blue "HA!" and he begs with a long purple "PLEEEEASE!" Purple and blue dominate Dwyer's cheery stylized art, liberally festooned with hearts, coyote silhouettes, squiggles and stars. Its swirling patterns graphically convey the stars' "dancing," but the zesty artwork and chatty text are at odds with the sorrowful story line. Ages 3-up.