| Title | : | The Legend of the Bluebonnet |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0698113594 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780698113596 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 32 |
| Publication | : | First published March 25, 1983 |
"An ideal complement to Native American and Texas studies..." Booklist
The Legend of the Bluebonnet Reviews
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My Grade 3 students were extremely empathetic to the plight of She-Who-Is-Alone, the orphan who sacrifices her only possession to save her people.
Once again,
Tomie dePaola works his magic as an illustrator to make this a moving legend! -
The Legend of the Bluebonnet is a folk tale of the Comanche People, to explain the flowering en masse of the lovely wild flower called variously Lupine, Buffalo Clover, Wolf Flower, and “El Conejo” (“the rabbit”) in Texas, every Spring. When white settlers moved to what we now call Texas, they termed the flower “bluebonnet”, as it reminded them of the bonnets worn by many of the white women to protect them from the heat of the Texan sun. This is now the name which is familiar to most people.
The author Tomie dePaola collected as many sources as he could, before retelling this tale for himself. It honours the Comanche People and their culture. He comments that it dates from:
“their early life in Texas before it became impossible for these brave people to share the land with the settlers and they were expelled or had to flee.”
I only saw a picture of beautiful bluebonnets for the first time a few months ago. They grow so widely in the Texas fields, that from a distance it looks like a misty blue carpet:
How could I then resist reading this lovely folk tale, when my own favourite flowers are bluebells, which when undisturbed, flourish in splendour, in English woods in the Spring.
The Legend of the Bluebonnet tells the tale in simple words, written as a long poem: one without rhyme or metre. It feels like traditional storytelling around a campfire. The illustrations are also simple, stylised water colours without decoration or much detail. Tomie dePaola has provided his own illustrations, concentrating on depicting the Comanche People using a naive style. The environment is sketchy and spare - merely suggested. And so, the legend …
The tribe is in trouble. There is a great drought:
“Great Spirits,
the land is dying. Your people are dying, too,
the long line of dancers sang.”
Many of the old people, the sick, and the children have died already and still the rains do not come. One little girl has lost all her family. She has a doll made from buckskin who means the world to her. It is all she has:
“ - a warrior doll.
The eyes, nose and mouth were painted on
with the juice of berries. It wore beaded leggings
and a belt of polished bone.
On its head were brilliant blue feathers from the bird who cries ‘Jay-jay-jay’”.
It is all She-Who-Is-Alone has left to remind her of her family. But after all the dancing, and pleas for help to the Great Spirits, the shaman has an answer to why the Comanche People are being punished:
“The People have become selfish.
For years they have taken from the Earth
without giving anything back.”
The shaman said that the Great Spirits demanded a burnt offering: a sacrifice of their most valued possessions, and the ashes must be scattered to the four winds.
The people hesitated. There were many Spirits: the Deer Spirit for agility, the Wolf Spirit for ferocity, the Eagle Spirit for strength, and the important Buffalo Spirit, to send them buffalo for the hunt. But there were evil Spirits too, such as the Crow Spirit. Surely the Great Spirits could not want their new bow, or their special blanket. They retired to their tipis to think about it.
But the little girl knew what she must do.
And ever afterwards “She-Who-Is-Alone” was known by a different name: “She-Who-Dearly-Loved-Her People”. And for evermore, where the little girl had scattered the ashes to the winds, the hills and valleys of Texas are covered by a carpet of beautiful flowers.
This is a charming little tale, told in an authentic fashion. It introduces the Comanche People: their customs and beliefs, to very young children. Plus, it instils the universal virtues of courage and self-sacrifice, within a simple narrative poem. The little girl’s decision to do a selfless action, is just as relevant today, as ever. My only reservation about the book is that I would personally have preferred a little more detail in the illustrations. For me then, it remains a three star read. -
Another one we had to read for school but we really liked this one. We've read several by Tomie dePaola in the past and love his books. This was no exception. An educational story about giving up something important to you for those that you love, it shows that even children have the power to be brave. My 5 yr old loved this story and so did I. Not only the moral lesson here, but there's lots of learning about the American Indian culture. We learned about tipi's (how they spell it in the book), and pow-wow's, and shaman's. I plan on taking my son to a "Pioneers in the park" festival where they have real tipi's set up that people are camping in, so he can go into them and see what they're really like. A great way to get kids excited about social studies, making it relevant. The illustrations were beautiful too, and we even had a short geography lesson with it, because of the area it took place in. Overall a great addition to any children's library.
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I read both the English and Spanish versions. Are they translations? I do hope they are. I would like to read a story told through many generations of Commanches.
DePaola published this book in thge 1980s, during a time of increasing multiculturalism. When I told a friend at the YWCA about reading DePaola, she spoke highly of him. I would guess this is because we were young women in the 1980s, learning about Multiculturalism as The Newest Idea that expanded us and made us better hippie chicks 🤷♀️
I read this book because it honors the bluebonnets of Texas. And Texas honors the bluebonnets as its state flower. And being Texas proud, I was attracted to the story.
Also read this book because the premise is that this story started out as a Commanche story. I would like to read a Comnanche story that tells of a culture's hopes and dreams of a fertile earth. Reading such a story would make the Commanches more humane, more worthy of having decimated the Coahuiltecans. One of my great-grandmothers felt the cut deeply. I have her picture on my altar. I sat at my altar where I read this story to her in Spanish (her language) so that she might be comforted in knowing the Comnanches were not only fierce warriors but that they also have the same strong feeling about life as her Coahuiltecan family members did. 💟💙💟La India, descansa en paz💟💙💟
Notes about the Translation.
Speakers of the dialect of the American Southwest, we keep some terms, sometimes anglicizing them instead of translating them. We alter "el pueblo" to "the pueblo," much in same way we might say "the community" or "the town". (DePaola translated "el pueblo" as "The People". We alter "La-muy-sola" (literally: The very lonely) to the anglicized version "the Lonely One," much how we might say "the pretty one" or "the smart one". (DePaola translated as "She-Who-Is-Alone".)
My Big Question.
What do Comnanches say of this story as it written here?
My Hope.
To someday read a collection of traditional Commanche stories. As I would like to read stories of the Coahuiltecans. -
While I love all of Tomie dePaola's books, this is one of my all-time favorites. Skylar reminded me the other day to pull it out and reread it--something I haven't done in awhile. I used to read it to every one of my religious education classes. It is the story of a little girl who (spoiler alert) gives up her favorite -- and only -- possession to save the life of her people. Because of the importance of her sacrifice, as well as because children can relate to it, I liked to use this story to teach students about the meaning of sacrificial giving. It reminds me of the story of the poor widow's mite. (Luke 21:1-4)
As with all of dePaola's books, there are the beautiful characteristic illustrations, simple, straightforward text and explanatory author's note at the end. -
I don't know why people love this book so much.
It isn't beautifully written. It isn't beautifully illustrated. It isn't really an early reader.
dePaola himself says, in the author's note, that he combined all the individual spirits honored by Comanche into a single Great Spirits reference and sends the shaman to pray to them all. That makes absolutely no sense, on the face of it. Even a rudimentary understanding of polytheism from Greco-Roman tradition tells us that you don't pray to multiple supernatural overlords at once. That would be rude.
I mean, okay, so let's assume for a moment this intended to be an English language version of a real Comanche legend. Why not tell it according to the tellings you've read? Surely, if the author's note regarding sources is accurate, none of those involved praying to Deer Spirit of agility fame and Crow Spirit of evil fame in order for the rain to come?
And what's this garbage about the Comanche having taken too much from the earth, and that's the reason for the drought? Seems unlikely. Comanche were nomads, for one thing (that's why they had tipis). Droughts are problematic for nomads, but if it truly brought famine then they would load up and move rather than let "The People" starve.
I looked for evidence that this is truly a Native American legend -- this is the closest I could find. Note the distinct lack of any mention that the people were poor stewards. This is dePaola's invention (a bit of late 20th century capitalist guilt perhaps?) and a poor choice to try squeezing it in. There's no indication in the poem that the Spirit (whichever one or ones) instituted the drought as punishment. Gods are fickle, what can you do?
https://ravenscourtgardens.com/2014/0...
Also -- I believe Comanche came to Texas / Mexico in the early 1700s? Note the poem just says "Indian" (a clue in itself that perhaps this is not authentic Native tradition but may have been a fireside tale for settlers). Because of course a Comanche girl could not have done this if she didn't arrive until 17XX. And if a Comanche, or many Comanche, made up this tale after they arrived, they would not have called the girl "Indian" or Comanche but something else. Maybe -- dare I say probably? -- they would just call her "a girl"
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/ETA/ for comparison, see this version which I found after posting. While distinctly settler-oriented in its phrasing and certain explanations which would only apply if writing about a cultural norm to a foreigner, it is part of a collection allegedly gathered directly from Native American persons. It is about a drought, specifies which Spirit is making trouble, describes the nomadic effort to find water, etc. That is to say: it is internally consistent.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/se/ws...
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The borderline reviews I've seen here sometimes admit to making special allowance for dePaola because this is a classic. It isn't -- copyright 1983. I was already eight years old at that time.
Maybe dePaola had good intentions, or simply got overexcited. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, as a person. The book, though? Nah. I'll be putting our copy in the bin. -
This is the native American origin story of the famous Texas bluebonnets.
Being as its bluebonnet season right now here in south Texas, I thought this would be a fun read for my son. Unfortunately, it was a little over his head. This was the first he was hearing of native culture and he didn't understand the notions of famine or sacrifice. I don't think there's anything wrong with the story, though, and this served as a good introduction for those topics. -
Children who are used to stories with modern day settings or lots of action may not know what to think about this book. If they have a little background, about lupine or Texas or any Native American tribe, they may have an easier time connecting. And ideally, if books such as this are read to children from a young age, they will more readily appreciate Native American cultures.
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6 of our family (hubby and five of our 11 kids) were born in Texas. Pictures in the Bluebonnets are Texas traditions each spring. It was lovely to learn the American Indian folklore behind the bluebonnets.
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Great for lesson on myth and cultural phenomenon. TEKS 5.3
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A lovely story about sacrifice for the greater good, but I’m not sure if this was a fair depiction of the Comanche People.
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Summarize the book:
This is a tale retold by Tomie dePaola that comes out of Texas. There is a drought, the People are starving, and they are looking to the Great Spirit to give them an answer on what to do. One child in the village, named She-Who-Is-Alone, waits with her special doll to find out what the Shaman have learned about how to end the drought and famine. When the Shaman come down from the mountains and tell the People that they must make a burnt sacrifice of the most prized possession, She-Who-Is-Alone makes the biggest sacrifice of all the People in order to end the drought and famine.
Identify the characteristics from the text that support the specific genre:
This is a legend told about great sacrifices and how the bluebonnets came to Texas. The plot has a brief introduction, a quick introduction to the conflict, and a quick touching resolution. There is a moral in the story about making great sacrifices in order to save others. She-Who-Is-Alone made the greatest sacrifice of anybody, giving the last item from her parents and those she loved, in order to save her people. She thought of others first, and herself second. This story has been passed down through generations, and I know for myself whenever I saw the bluebonnets bloom I thought of this story and the sacrifice that She-Who-Is-Alone made for the ones she loved.
This is also multicultural literature because it is about Native Americans, the Comanche. The Legend of the Bluebonnet is presented in a sensitive way, and it is an empowering story about sacrifice to save the ones you love.
Identify specific concepts that could be integrated into the classroom:
Concepts that could be integrated in the classroom could be the importance of thinking of others. Also, this could be used in a way to show the different stories of how different people believed plants and animals came about.
Offer any other suggestions that would be useful regarding literary content, reading level, and other ways in which the book might be integrated:
While the age level for this book is considered 4-8, I believe that you could integrate this story in many different levels. You might also use this book as an introduction to plants, citing this specific flower, or you might also try and integrate it into a history lesson. -
The legend of the bluebonnet is the courageous story of a young Comanche girl named, She-Who-Is-Alone, and her selfless act of saving her people from famine and drought. She-Who-Is-Alone cherishes her warrior doll, which was made for her by many different people in her family using precious materials valued by her People. The Comanche have been experiencing a severe drought and there is not enough food for everyone to eat. The Shaman speaks to the Great Spirits and they instruct him to offer a sacrifice, a burnt offering of their most valued possession, so the land may become fruitful again. The People of the village are hesitant to give up their greatest possession, but She-Who-Is-Alone knows she has a possession worthy of this request. As she thinks about the memories contained within her warrior doll, she asks the Great Spirits for acceptance and places the doll in the fire. As she wakes in the morning, the richness of the land has been restored and her People are forever in her debt.
This book represents traditional literature in that it's content consists of the traditional telling of an old Texas folktale that was created to represent the origination of the bluebonnet flower of Texas. This little flower can be found beautifully spread out across the Texas landscape. This, in combination with the prevalence of the Comanche culture in the South, led to the creation of this tale by Author, Tomie DePaola. To remember the sacrifice of young She-Who-Is-Alone, the Great Spirits cover the hills and valleys of Texas every Spring with this beautiful blue flower. This traditional tale offers an explanation for the colorful existence of this beautiful flower whenever it is seen.
Although this book could be effectively applied to a classroom setting to represent folklore, the true message of the book is taught as a tale of courage and sacrifice of a young person. Although they may not feel important at times, or worthy of contribution, the actions of young people are held with considerable value in our society. This book represents the actions they are capable of taking and the impact they can have on the lives of many people. -
Tomie DePaolo is the author and illustrator of one of my favorite books The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush, so when I saw that I had another book by him sitting on my shelf I had to check it out.
The illustrations of his books are always gorgeous and this is no different. I adore the water color treatment and the pure emotions put into each scene. The story itself tells of the selfless story of the Native American origins of the bluebonnet, and centers around a little Comanche girl as she watches her tribe suffer from the lack of rain.
The beautiful tale is one of courage and willing sacrifice, and combined with the wonderful illustrations makes this a must for any child’s growing library. -
Text-to-Text
In my reading of 'The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush' I discovered that Tomie dePaola wrote other flower legend books, including this 'Legend of the Bluebonnet'. Both books are obviously of the same author, who is also the illustrator. Both books have the same soft, warm illustrations throughout and look very much alike, especially as they are both about Native Americans and the same era/environment. Both are legends of how flowers came to be and the stories of healing/discovery/inspiration of the people, including Shaman and Great Spirits. The Indian Paintbrush flower is of Wyoming and the Bluebonnet is of Texas. -
There was a time when I had an intense interest in all things Native American and, in response, I think my parents bought this book for me. To date, I've probably read it about 100 times. The writing is simple bordering austere yet ultimately uplifting. The illustrations are lovely to look at and a true representation of De Paola's illustration style. She-Who-Is-Alone is one of my favorite literary heroines of all time. Her selflessness always makes me cry, which can be problematic when reading this book aloud to an audience. But I do it anyway, because the story is just too good to pass up.
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Genre: Traditional Literature
Awards: None
Grade level: K-2
I would use this book in my classroom while learning about flowers or about the Native American culture. After reading the book to my class I would have them cut out bluebonnet flowers and have them write their most prized possession on the flower. Then hang them up around the classroom. This book is important because it teaches students about sacrifice and the Native American culture. -
Long ago I read this story to the second graders I was student teaching and they seemed to love it. I miss the bluebonnets since I left Texas. I wish they would grow in other places.
In England I picked bluebells in the ancient woods with an English lady who took me there. Blue flowers are rare. -
Tomie de Paola is a master at finding beautiful and sometimes not-so-well-known legends and turning them into masterpieces with his simple yet stunning art.
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A little girl gives up her most precious possession to help end her tribe's suffering.She is rewarded with blue flowers growing all around her.
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One of my absolute favorite books! The courage that one little girl showed to help her people is amazing!
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Beautiful story about the miracle a little girl's sacrifice brings.
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Another fun little find Little Free Library hunting tonight. I wanted more indigenous stories in my picture book collection. My only concern is that I don’t think this was written by an indigenous author.
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This was the first book I can remember reading by myself. Even though I havent touched it in decades, I still remember it vividly
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Loved this book as a child.
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Heartwarming and with beautiful illustrations
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4.5
I will definitely use this with my students again in the future! -
mi crítica en inglés
