The Fire Stealers
Book Review:
Aliksa'i (Listen!) The Fire Stealers, a retelling of a traditional
Hopi story, tells how the People acquired fire. When this pourquoi story
begins, the Hopi are living in the cold and darkness; they have no fires
with which to warm themselves, no fires with which to cook their food.
The elders send a strong young man to find fire, and he reports that
it will be difficult to steal the well-protected treasure from a neighboring
village. The elders send four animals, the Owl, the Gopher, the Coyote,
and the Vulture. Each one is sent for its particular strength, but the
fire burns some part of each animal. These scars explain some physical
characteristic of each one. Although Vulture's head feathers are burned
and it becomes bald, the firebrand Vulture returns to the Hopi is still
live and fire is kindled in Hopiland.
According to the note at the beginning of the book, Ekkehart Malotki
recorded the original story, "How the Hopis First Got Fire," from Michael
Lomatuway'ma, a Hopi man from Hotevilla. Malotki "retitled the story
The Fire Stealers and reworked it to improve its narrative flow and
its appeal to young readers." The illustrations by Ken Gary were inspired
by ancient Pueblo kiva murals. These murals, pottery, and other ancient
artifacts were used in conjunction with modern-day Hopi and Pueblo culture
to guide the illustrations. The influence of kachinas and pottery designs
is particularly strong in the black-lined images and borders. The endpapers
show fire and corn, and students will note these symbols and reflections
of Hopi culture throughout the book.
About the Book |
Book Review | Children's Voices | Lesson
Plan | About the Reviewer