Southwest Children's Literature

Sun Logo


The Flute Player

Book Review:

This book is a mournful, yet beautiful story about an Apache boy and his friendship with his flute and a young girl. Every year the Apache village would hold a social gathering for the young people called a hoop dance. The young boy and girl only danced with one another, and he began to tell her that he liked to play the flute. She told him that she would listen to him while she worked for her father in the canyon, and if she liked his song, she would float a leaf down the river. This went on for sometime, and they grew very fond of one another.

Eventually, the boy was old enough to learn how to hunt so he went on his journey, and was unable to play music for the girl. The girl became heartbroken, which eventually made her ill, and she died.

When the boy returned from hunting, he immediately ran to play the flute for the girl. No leaf returned. He found out from her brother that she had died of an illness. Even though this tragedy occurred, he still returned to their spot by the river to play for the girl in heaven. To this day, the Apache people believe that they can hear him playing for the girl in wind.

This Apache folktale has wonderful geometrical and colorful illustrations done by the author-illustrator Michael Lapaca.

There is an interview with Michael Lacapa on this Web site.

to mainpage

About the Book | Book Review | Children's Voices | About the Reviewer