Another beautifully realized legend of the Plains Indians from the author-illustrator of The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses (Caldecott Medal, 1979). In the cadenced prose of an old storyteller ruminating by a campfire, Goble tells of a wise maiden, in tune with the natural world, making shirts and moccasins for the seven brothers she mysteriously knows live in the north. The garments complete, she delivers them and lives happily with the six strong men and one small boy who agree that she is their sister, till the buffalo king demands her. When his demand is refused, he sends a stampede--but the brothers and their sister escape by shooting arrows skyward and creating a pine tree that carries them safely to heaven, where they become the Big Dipper. Goble has outdone himself with bright, decorative illustrations (pen, India ink, watercolor) combining Native American designs and motifs with the sweeping panorama and burgeoning wildlife of the Cheyennes' homeland. A lovely, appealing book that commendably includes notes on the sources for both the story and the art, and should find use in story time, independent reading, and curriculum enrichment. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Ages 5-8. Goble re-creates the Cheyenne legend that describes the origin of the Big Dipper. A girl whose heart is pure enough to hear the spirits begins embroidering men's shirts and moccasins, filling them with beautiful designs. Her parents are at a loss to understand her actions until the girl explains-in her mind's eye she has seen seven brothers in the north country. She will go to them and be their sister. At first her mother thinks this is just a girl's ramblings, but as time passes and the girl continues to work on the clothing, her mother believes and accompanies her north. As in her vision, she finds the seven brothers, and the group lives happily until the day a buffalo comes and says his family wants the girl for their own. When the brothers refuse, a buffalo stampede forces the boys and their sister up a tree.They climb higher and higher until eventually they become stars. Goble does his usual impeccable job both in textual and visual interpretations. For those who are curious, he explains in an opening note how he executes his striking art: the illustrations are drawn with pen and india ink and filled with watercolor, often heavily applied. Thin white lines are left to approximate the brightness of Indian beads and quillwork. In sum, a handsome addition to Goble's body of work, which could be linked with Jeanne Lee's Chinese star tale, Legend of the Milky Way (Booklist 78:1314 Je 1 82). IC. 398.2'08997 Cheyenne Indians-Legends / Indians of North America-Great Plains-Legends / Stars-Folklore [OCLC] 86-31776

With the same artistry of his Caldecott Medal-winning The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, Goble retells a Cheyenne star legendhow the Big Dipper came into being. A lovely Indian maiden, who finds inspiration in her love and respect for the spirits, creates seven sets of moccasins and shirts, somehow knowing that she must go in search of the seven brothers who live far from her home. When she arrives, the smallest brother is waiting for herhe, too, has power from the spirits to see and know special things. The Chief of the Buffalo Nation wants the young Indian woman to join him, but she will not go; the buffaloes charge. The youngest brother shoots an arrow into the sky and a pine tree appears, growing with the arrow's flight. They all climb into the sky and become the stars of the constellationthe maiden a smaller star nearby. This is a spry telling, dignified but lively. Thickly applied watercolors give the pictures intense hues, and an earthy but bright palette is set off with sky tones: slate blue mingles with sage green, brick orange and rich brown. All ages. (March) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Gr 2-4 Goble once more combines a respectful retelling of a Cheyenne legend with dynamic paintings depicting both traditional Indian life and the beauty of the natural world. In the legend, a young girl, known for her skilled embroidery, sews beautiful shirts and moccasins for seven brothers in the north who have no sister. She travels north to their home where she becomes a loved and honored sister. They all live happily until the chief of the buffalo nation demands the girl for himself. When the brothers refuse he sends his people against them in a stampede. They flee to the safety of the star prairies, where they now form the big dipper. Sources for both the story and the clothing designs are given. Goble's adaptation is distinguished by its restraint; he resists the temptation to dramatize the tale, choosing instead the quiet, matter-of-fact voice of the traditional Indian storyteller. The illustrations, by contrast, are boldly graphic, with dynamic patterns, brilliant color, and strong line dramatically imposed on the white of the page. While the elements are all from the natural world, Goble stylizes and idealizes them, creating fields of texture, merging from realistic foliage and animals to abstract, flattened shapes. Like the story, the characters are never particularized. Goble keeps the human characters at a distance and flattens their faces, removing all individuality. At the same time he lingers over the design of the clothing and the painted tipis. Once again Goble's admiration for the Plains Indians has been combined with his considerable gifts as a painter to produce a seamless whole. Eleanor K. MacDonald, Palos Verdes Library District, Calif. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.