Totem Tale: A Tall Story from Alaska Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My 4 year old and I have read this book over and over. The illustrations are wonderful, the concept of a totem pole being based on a story is clear. The totem pole takes itself apart at night and my daughter tries to remember the story the pole is based on in order to put the pole together again in the right order as the sun rises.

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On a full-moon night in Alaska, a traditional native totem pole magically comes to life. The Grizzly, Beaver, Frog, and Raven all stretch and scratch and voice their relief at being free at last. But then the first dawn light appears on the horizon, and the totems have to reassemble themselves in the proper order before morning. Who should be on top of whom? Can wise Raven reason with these contentious creatures? Deb Vanasse's enchanting text and Erik Brooks's lively illustrations make this a memorable modern folktale.

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Totem Poles (Make Your Own) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a nice little book that is written for a VERY young audience. Although it claims to be for grades 1-3, it is, in my opinion, appropriate for grades K-1.
Each page has a nice watercolor drawing/painting, and from 1 to 3 sentences in fairly large type.
It has a limited vocabulary and simple sentence structure that would make it appropriate for the K-1 student who is using the book as a learn-to-read assignment. However, if you are reading it to them, I think most children above the age of 6 would feel insulted and/or bored if this was read aloud to them.
For example: "They hunted deer and bear. They used animal skins for clothes." And on another page: "Look at this totem pole. It belongs to the Eagle group. Do you see the eagle at the top?"
Of course, there are also some general sorts of inconsistencies that are noted in the industry review above, but these aren't really all that much of a problem. In my experience, most kids will just king of pass right by these sorts of things and don't really notice them and aren't bothered by them.
Overall, this is a good book for what it does. If you want a fairly low-level book for the K-1 crowd, then this book will work just fine.

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Totem Poles Review

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(More customer reviews)If you have ever been fascinated by totem poles & wanted to know more about them, how they are carved, what ceremonies are associated with them, like the grand Potlatch, then this is the book for you!
After Pat Kramer offers Acknowledgements to all who guided her, she takes us on a wondrous tour of The Origins and History of Totem Poles; Totem Pole Symbols and Ceremonies; Identifying Totem Figures; Land of the Totem Poles with a Recommended Reading and Index section.
There are maps of both where the First People live & where the ancient & modern totem poles can be found.
Clearly written in columnar layout like a magazine with the page tops color-coded for easy access & referral. A treasure to keep.

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This book guides readers to the many places in British Columbia, Washington, and Alaska where totem poles can be found and helps viewers understand the 'language' of the poles. You can learn about their origin and history, the symbols and ceremonies linked to them, types of figures and how to identify them, and where to see authentic poles and pole collections. It includes: full-colour photographs with extensive descriptions of magnificent totem poles; archival images of historical poles; how to carve a totem pole; and what happens at a pole-raising ceremony.

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Totem Pole Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Text is written as narration by a boy who appears to be about 10 or 11 years old, and is telling us about his dad, who is a native Pacific Northwest Coast Artist and Carver.
This short book is a snapshot of a short period in time when his dad carves a totem pole, and it is raised at the entrance to an indian reseervation.
The text sounds to me like it was written by an adult trying to sound like a kid, and it doesn't sound quite right when I read it. Although this will catch the ear of an adult, I haven't noticed that kids are bothered or notice.
More importantly, it is a nice little book written from the persepective of a boy who is proud of his dad and his heritage, and is eagerly adopting his heritage and helping his dad, and wants to be like his dad, who is an excellent, positive role model.
The photos are excellent and very nicely enhance and illustrate the text. The quality of the book is very high.
I'd strongly recommend it for someone who wants a child's book to read to kids 5-12 years old, or to be read by kids ages 7 or 8 to 12 to read themselves.
Not only does the book do a nice job of telling a story and teaching a little about totem poles and Pacific Northwest Coast Indian culture, perhaps even more importantly the boy in the story provides a very positive role model for the kids who read this book.

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A Tsimshian Indian boy proudly describes how his father carved a totem pole for the Klallam tribe and the subsequent ceremonial celebration.

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