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| Image retrieved from www.amazon.com |
1. Bibliography
Bruchac, Joseph and James, and William Sauts Netamuxwe Bock. When the Chenoo Howls: Native American Tales of Terror. New York: Walker and Company, 1998. ISBN 0802786383
2. Plot Summary
Stories about monsters have been told to Native American children for centuries. These stories are told for two reasons: to keep children away from danger and to warn them against bad behavior. The stories have been passed down from generation to generation. In this book, Joseph and James Bruchac have gathered some of their own favorite tales of terror to share with children beyond the Native American culture.
3. Critical Analysis
When the Chenoo Howls contains 12 Native American scary stories. The introduction to these stories explains that “Through the oral tradition, these legends have passed down tribal, regional, and family histories, stressed cultural philosophies, taught lessons, and amused Native audiences for thousands of years.” Author James Bruchac knows first-hand the value of these legends, as he and his brother grew up hearing them from his storyteller father, Joseph Bruchac.
In these stories, the monsters are almost always defeated by human beings, teaching children that they have the wit and strength to stand up to their own fears. In The Stone Giant, Skunny-Wundy defeats the Stone Giant by himself, keeping his entire village safe from the monster. In Man Bear, Swift Runner defeats Man Bear by tricking him and outrunning him. However, sometimes the monsters are not defeated, teaching children the values of not wandering too far from home, of good behavior, and of respect for their elders. In the story Ugly Face, Blue Sky is taken away by the monster Ugly Face because of his disrespectful, disobedient behavior toward his mother, and in the story The Spreaders, Azone is tortured by the Spreaders because he insists on camping in an unsafe area.
At the end of each story, James and Joseph Bruchac include an explanation about the monster in the story. They tell in which Native American tribe the legend was told, as well as other background information that is insightful for the reader. In addition to providing valuable information, these end-of-story notes lend authenticity to the legends. The authors also include a pronunciation guide at the end of the book. I personally found this guide to be very helpful during my reading. It allows readers to correctly pronounce and read unfamiliar Native American names and words. Again, this guide adds to the authenticity of the book. The authors know their culture and heritage well, and they immerse the reader in it.
The beginning of each story features a black and white illustration portraying the monster that is about to come alive in the story. By placing the illustrations at the beginning of the story, the reader can picture what the monster might have looked like throughout the reading. The illustrations show Native Americans in traditional dress with facial features typical of Native Americans - high cheekbones and almond-shaped eyes. The monsters in the illustrations are huge in comparison to the humans, bringing fear to anyone who reads these stories.
4. Review Excerpts
From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (December 1, 1998): "An interesting alternative for children who love horror stories."
From BOOKLIST (November 1, 1998): "A worthy addition to Native American folklore collections, this is also suitably frightening for fans of Schwartz's scary stories and San Souci's Short and Shivery collections."
5. Connections
Gather other books to read by Joseph Bruchac such as:
- Thirteen Moons on Turtle’s Back. ISBN 978-0698115842
- Squanto’s Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving. ISBN 978-0152060442
- Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two. ISBN 978-0142405963
Have students write their own tale of terror. The tale should teach children a valuable lesson about safety or behavior, just like Bruchac’s tales.
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