The Cherokees (First Americans Books)
Grade 2-4?Broad in scope, yet brief on details, this picture book begins with the Cherokee creation story and goes on to cover traditional life, colonial battles, loss of land, the Trail of Tears, and circumstances for the Oklahoma and North Carolina bands in the nearly two centuries since removal. The different roles of men, women, and children in village life each receive double-page spreads. Information on ceremony and dance comes next, followed by the consequences of the arrival of the Europeans. Current events discussed include the leadership transition from Wilma Mankiller to Joe Byrd as principal chief of the Oklahoma Cherokee Nation. An even-handed tone dignifies the tragedy of the tribe's history. Himler's familiar watercolors, rich, warm, and serene, grace the text. Not as thorough as Emilie Lepthien's The Cherokee (Childrens, 1985), Sneve's title will serve primary-grade readers well.?Jacqueline Elsner, Athens Regional Library, GACopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.