Southwest Children's Literature

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Doesn't Fall Off His Horse

Book Review:

This book is about an Indian grandfather telling his granddaughter, Saygee, a story of a life he use to live with teepees and horses. When he was little, he and his friends organized what is called a "coup." A coup is a dangerous game meant to embarrass or dishonor your enemy by catching them off guard. But if done successfully, the villagers will give you praise and honor. One night Grandpa and his friends rode to the enemy village to where they kept their horses. They untied the horses and started riding off into the night only to be caught by the village guard at the last minute. The villagers started shooting at the boys and Grandpa got struck in the neck. He fell forward onto the horse's neck but he kept holding on to the other horses ropes and never stopped riding until he got home. When he was better the villagers told him how dangerous and silly it was to play a "coup" on the enemy if you are not at war. But they were also grateful that they received fresh new horses for their villagers. So, the honored Grandpa with the name, "Doesn't Fall Off His Horse."

The illustrations are done with acrylic paint and are very brightly colored. The horses are even different colors ranging from yellow to purple to green and the villager's robes and clothing are colorful as well. Although the illustrations are very colorful, there is not too much detail. The faces of Indians have a little black dot for eyes and a pink spot to show their rosy cheeks and hey are painted without any lips. The background is also very simple. But the illustrations in this book are still essential in telling the story and are great for children's imaginations.

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