Week 9 Reading Diary, continued: Tejas Legends

When The Storm God Rides: Tejas and Other Indian Legends retold by Florence Stratton 

Hummingbird, Illustrated by Berniece Burrough

The first story is about a humming fish and a heron betting on a race. I thought the author did a great job of describing the humming fish and heron in great detail, giving a good image of what they looked like and you can picture them racing one another.

"Again she stayed until the sun had gone down behind the distant hills on the far edge of the desert, and she watched her start winking once more at her."

Through the first two stories, the visuals/pictures have been really colorful and detailed which I love because you can really picture the story in your head. That is something I try to do in my storytelling as well. 

Quanah, who makes blankets spends a ton of time on this one blanket and is found one day laying on a mat, wrinkled face, eyes closed. He then opens his eyes to the Indians and tells them about this blanket he has spent so much time on and tells them it is for the person who has done the most for their people. Another simple, beautiful picture: 

Fire Wheel flower 

"There is a pretty blue and purple flower with a heart of gold which blooms in the early spring in the swamps and along the streams of the gulf coast"

This story, "The Pecan Tree's Best Friend" is another unique storytelling style talking about pecan trees and their family and friends, like they are people. It is definitely an interesting story style to consider moving forward. 

"Just as soon as this happened the happy cactus flowers opened their petals wide and began to drink in the colored mists that were clinging to the plants"

"He watched the nest where Paisono had his little ones, and when the bird was gone he went to it and swallowed all the little Paisonos" 

"As soon as he had gone, the clouds which had been afraid to float over the land as long as the serpent was there sailed back. Rain poured down from them and the long drought was ended."

"His sharp ears stood straight up, always ready to warn him of an enemy so that he would be ready to fight" This is a description of a dog who was brave and full of pride, wild as a wolf and afraid of no man.