A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ross, G. (1995). How turtle's back was cracked: A traditional Cherokee tale. (Illus. by M. Jacob) New York: Penguin.
B. PLOT SUMMARY
How Turtle's Back was Cracked is a Cherokee folktale that addresses why turtles backs look the way that they do. Turtle is very good friends with Opossom at the beginning of the story, and their favorite thing to do together is eat persimmons. The way they typically found and ate the persimmons was that Opossum would hang from the tree and drop them down for Turtle to eat. But one day, as Opossum was tossing persimmons down to Turtle, a wolf came by and played a trick on them both. As Opossum tossed the tasty fruit down to be eaten, the wolf snatched it away and took it for himself. This continued on until Opossum discovered what was happening, and he threw the next persimmon down as hard as he could, killing the wolf.
After the wolf had been killed, Turtle took his ears as a form of tribute, and created a set of wolf-ear spoons out of them. He knew that many tribes had a custom to always feed a visitor a bowl of corn soup, so he went around eating soup and showing off his wolf-ear spoons to everyone he could. Eventually the other wolves found out that Turtle was claiming to be a great wolf hunter, so they went out and found him. While trying to decide what to do with Turtle to make him pay, he tricks the wolves to toss him in the river instead of setting him on fire or making a soup out of him. Since turtles are able to swim well in the river, Turtle thinks he has successfully tricked the wolves, but as they toss him in, he lands on a large rock, shattering his shell into a dozen pieces.
Turtle was able to find the pieces of his shell, and since he is a great doctor, Turtle was able to eventually get the pieces back together and heal himself. To this day, all turtles have shells that are strong and together, but if you look closely, you can see the pieces that make up its shell. And no longer do any turtles carry around a pair of wolf-ear spoons to eat corn soup with.
C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The first thing that really stood out to me about this book were the illustrations. Never before had I seen such vivid and colorful depictions of animals. I felt that the paintings done by Murv Jacob really brought to life these creatures that had been anthropomorphized and made to feel incredibly real. The landscapes and even the Native peoples shown throughout the story really bring the reader in and allows them to imagine the setting and time in which this tale exists. The story begins with the speaker claiming that this is a story the old people told him from the times when people and animals spoke the same language. I thought that was a really interesting way to frame this folktale that's sole purpose was to explain why a turtle's shell looks the way it does. These legends are so important to really understanding what the Cherokee hold sacred and learning about the stories that they pass on to their children.
We learn about a few Cherokee customs throughout the story, including taking a tribute from an animal a warrior has killed; offering a guest the first item of food during a visit; and the thick corn soup that is always being made in case a guest stops by. The reader learns how these different customs come up in the daily life of the Cherokee, and how they weave into these folktales that are passed down from generation to generation.
D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
When best friends Possum and Turtle tangle with a greedy wolf, the incident ends in the wolf's finish at Possum's hand-although Turtle takes the credit. As he flaunts his triumph, word swiftly travels to the wolf pack. A fleet-footed posse captures Turtle easily and brings him to an execution council; crafty Turtle outwits the wolves by begging them to do anything except throw him into the river. Not quite according to his plan, Turtle lands first on a rock, then bounces into the water. His shell sustains multiple cracks, but he nevertheless limps to safety. Jacob's tapestry-like acrylics, dense with pattern and detail, bring memorable theater to this story-they suggest a world in which everything, even the breezes in the sky, has tangible presence and import. The prose reflects Ross's expertise as a professional storyteller as well as her intimacy with Cherokee culture (a note on the jacket explains that she is a direct descendant of the chief who led the Cherokee Nation on the Trail of Tears). An endnote briefly summarizes Cherokee history. Ages 4-8.
--Publisher's Weekly
Gathering persimmons together, friends Possum and Turtle are joined by a thieving wolf who chokes to death on their fruit. Turtle, foolishly believing that he has killed the wolf, shows off the deed by making wolf-ear spoons and eating with them publicly. When the other wolves catch Turtle, they vow to kill him by roasting, boiling, or drowning him. He responds with, "Oh, no, not the river! Anything but the river." When they throw him in, he lands upside down on a rock, cracking his shell. He survives, but that's why the Turtle has cracks on his back today. Despite its echoes of the more familiar Brer Rabbit story ("born and bred in the briar patch"), this Cherokee pourquoi tale has a flavor all its own. Ross notes that she remembers the tale from her childhood, found a written source, and developed it through storytelling to its present form. Jacob's distinctive acrylic paintings illustrate the story's dramatic moments in scenes rich in colors and patterns. An entertaining picture book to read aloud.
--Booklist
E. CONNECTIONS
0698115848.
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