A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bruchac, J., & Vojtech, A. (2013). The first strawberries: A Cherokee story. Columbus, O.H.: Zaner-Bloser.
B. PLOT SUMMARY
The First Strawberries is a legend about how strawberries came to be. According to the legend, one day the Creator made a man and a woman at the same time so that they would not be lonely. The eventually married and were happy together. One day when the man was out hunting, he arrived home to discover that his wife had not made dinner yet. Instead, she was out picking flowers in a field. The husband was angry with his wife, and asked her if she expected him to eat flowers? Hurt by his words, the woman left, claiming that she would live with the man no longer.
The man attempted to chase his wife, but she was too fast for him. Seeing how sad and sorry he was for his hurtful comments, the Sun sought to help the man out. The Sun attempted to slow the woman down by having fruit grow near her as she walked. The Sun shined its rays down on the land and summoned up raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries, but still the woman would not slow down so that the man could apologize. Finally, the Sun mustered all of its energy and created strawberries, which grabbed the woman's attention as she was walking. She bent down and tasted the sweet berry, and she was instantly reminded of how happy she had once been with her husband. The man eventually finds her and apologizes for his comments, and the two of them make up. The legend closes by saying that the strawberries remind the Cherokee that friendship and respect are as sweet as the taste of those berries.
C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This was a really interesting Cherokee legend, and one that I had not heard before. Stories such as this are really important to learning more about cultures different from one's own. This particular legend focused on the creation of strawberries and how they came to be. Not only does the legend show a Cherokee man and woman in traditional clothing, but the story also contains other significant elements to these people, including belief systems and traditional roles held by men and women. The man in the story is out hunting all day, and the woman is said to have typically been preparing an evening meal while he was out.
Additionally, the Creator is mentioned, who is said to be the person who created mankind and everything on Earth. We also see mention of the Sun helping the man in his quest to apologize to his wife, indicating to the reader that the Cherokee people believe more than in just a single deity. It's nice that Bruchac included not only the legend of the strawberry, but also additional elements and norms that would be significant to the Cherokee people.
D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
"Complete harmony of text and pictures: altogether lovely."
-- Kirkus Reviews, pointer review
"Quietly luminous watercolors capture details of dress, dwelling, implements, flora, and fauna against an open landscape of rolling hills."
--Kirkus Review
"Spare text, an uncomplicated story line and gentle illustrations keep this quiet but resonant tale accessible to even the youngest child"
--Publishers Weekly
E. CONNECTIONS
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