Southwest Children's  Literature

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Sing Down the Rain

Book Review:

Like many Native American cultures, the Tohono O'odham of the Southwest have a strong belief system and many traditions. This book deals with one such tradition, the Saguaro Wine Ceremony. Sing Down the Rain goes into great detail about all the key factors involved in the ceremony. Everything from the animals to the desert plants plays a key role in the life of the O'odham, or Desert People. This ceremony is essential for it helps bring the rain to water their crops.

This book does an excellent job of bringing alive desert life, the process of the ceremony, and the Tohono O'odham people. The author does an excellent job describing the area of the Southwest in which these people live. She also ties in all the elements of nature that play a key role in this ceremony and the lives of these Desert People. The most engaging part is that it is a poem about the ceremony and can be read by an individual or performed by a classroom of students to a tune that children can grasp and will help them better enjoy the already wonderfully written book.

For more information about the Tohono O'odham, the book, and teaching tips: you can visit the author Judi Moreillon's Web site .

 

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