THIRTEEN MOONS ON TURTLE'S BACK

Bruchac, Joseph and Jonathan London. Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back. 1992. Reprint, New York: Putnam Juvenile, 1997. ISBN 0-698-11584-8.

PLOT SUMMARY:
In this book of Native American poetry, a boy's grandfather explains to him that there are thirteen moons in each year and thirteen scales on turtle's back. He explains that every moon has its own name and every moon has its own stories. He then tells one story (poem) for each moon. Each poem is attributed to a different Native American tribe.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

The book opens with a drawing of a turtle showing the thirteen scales on his back which correlate to the thirteen moons of the year. Each moon's poem is then presented chronologically on a double page spread. On the left hand side is the moon's name, the poem, and the number of the poem with a corresponding Native American tribe's name. The illustration for the poem takes up the entire opposite page and about half of the page with the poem. The poems start in the winter (January), progressing through the seasons through the end of the year.

A combination of animal and nature stories, most of the poems are "why" poems or porquoi stories such as "Moon of Falling Leaves" which explains why some trees drop their leaves in the fall while others stay evergreen, and "Moon When Deer Drop Their Horns", which tells the legend of why deer lose their horns each winter. The authors (Bruchac and London) include an author's note about the importance of the cycles of the moons to most Native Americans. They explain that many Native Americans look to the turtle's back as a form of calendar. They also mention that not all Native Americans look to moons as being important in their culture. They point out that some tribal nations call the moons by different names, and that their representation is one of one moon story from each of thirteen Native American tribal nations throughout the continent.

The illustrations by Thomas Locker are gentle and muted like the poems. The colors and the darkness or lightness are representative of the changing seasons and the animals that the poems are about. The nature is vibrant, from the sunsets over the snow, to the changing colors of the fall leaves. This book would make an excellent introduction to so many things-- the thirteen moons of the year, the various Native American tribal nations, and porquoi stories.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:

School Library Journal:
Locker's large, dark paintings stand parallel to or in tandem with the poems but are not integral to them. They create a mood and capture portions of the text, encouraging viewers to look ``at'' rather than ``into'' these images. There is a sense of vastness in these paintings, and sometimes a harshness, but little of the lushness or the warmth of the land.

Booklist:
The large format with minimal text will appeal to younger children, while the alternative calendar, based on changes in nature, will interest middle readers. An unusual, easy-to-use resource for librarians, teachers, and others wishing to incorporate multicultural activities throughout the year.

Publisher's Weekly:
His oil paintings are eye-catching in their depth of color reflecting dramatic seasonal changes. Trees, skies and woodland creatures are rendered in vivid hues that combine to produce an enthralling vision. This unusual and intelligent book is an exemplary introduction to Native American culture with its emphasis on the importance of nature.

CONNECTIONS:

* Take a blank traditional calendar and label the thirteen moons. This could be done before reading the poems. Have students discuss which season each poem might represent before reading. Have them brainstorm animals they feel might portray the different moons or things that might be happening in nature (plants growing, ice forming, trees losing their leaves).

* Discuss porquoi tales. Can they think of other porquoi tales? Read some. Then have students make their own porquoi tale. Nature and animals are obvious subjects, but what else could you use?

* Have students figure out what moon you are currently in. Read that tale again. See what similarities or differences you might see in nature right now.

* Create a classroom calendar highlighting the thirteen moons. Name each moon and write a poem to represent each moon.

* Research the phases of the moon. You could add these to your calendar. Read some of the wives tales about full moons. See if your class notices anything unusual when there are full moons. See if you can find any evidence to support changes in nature around full moons.