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Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest
Wherever Coyote goes you can be sure he’ll find trouble. Now he wants to sing, dance, and fly like the crows, so he begs them to teach him how. The crows agree but soon tire of Coyote’s bragging and boasting. They decide to teach the great trickster a lesson. This time, Coyote has found real trouble!
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
12 people are currently reading
267 people want to read
About the author
Gerald McDermott
65 books77 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Gerald McDermott is an award-winning children’s book illustrator and an expert on mythology. His work often combines bright colors and styles with ancient imagery.
He has created more than 25 books and animated films. His first book, Anansi the Spider, was awarded a Caldecott Honor, and he’s since won the Caldecott Medal for Arrow to the Sun and another Caldecott Honor.
Gerald McDermott is an award-winning children’s book illustrator and an expert on mythology. His work often combines bright colors and styles with ancient imagery.
He has created more than 25 books and animated films. His first book, Anansi the Spider, was awarded a Caldecott Honor, and he’s since won the Caldecott Medal for Arrow to the Sun and another Caldecott Honor.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
September 5, 2017
Beautiful retelling of this iconic figure - I am sure Wile E. Coyote got lots of advice from him!
December 4, 2007
A cute trickster tale about how coyote became grey. He's always getting into trouble. I love the vibrant colors in the illustrations. I would use this with an art unit.
November 6, 2014
Coyote is a very book to read. It also is very cool, nieces, and easy to read. I would like for my friends to read it.
February 12, 2010
Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest is appropriate for children in kindergarten through second grade.
Coyote, the trickster-fool, is common in Native American folklore. He is always getting in trouble, usually because he is rude, boastful and proud. In this tale, he wants to fly like the crows, and in the beginning they want to help him. But he predictably falls to the ground when the crows decide he is undeserving of their talent. He lands in a pool of water on a mesa, chases after the crows who laugh at his misfortune and tumbles in the dirt. And to this day, coyotes are a dusty gray color.
I think I enjoyed this tale because it reminded me of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. From the start, you know the Coyote will never be able to accomplish his goal, but you read anyway because you want to experience his comical calamity. I also thoroughly enjoyed the flat, geometric illustrations and the contrast of Coyote's brilliant blue against the sandy, red-brown of the Southwest.
McDermott's other trickster tales include: Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest, Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa, Jabuti the Tortoise: A Trickster Tale from the Amazon, Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti, and Pig-Boy: A Trickster Tale from Hawai'i.
Coyote, the trickster-fool, is common in Native American folklore. He is always getting in trouble, usually because he is rude, boastful and proud. In this tale, he wants to fly like the crows, and in the beginning they want to help him. But he predictably falls to the ground when the crows decide he is undeserving of their talent. He lands in a pool of water on a mesa, chases after the crows who laugh at his misfortune and tumbles in the dirt. And to this day, coyotes are a dusty gray color.
I think I enjoyed this tale because it reminded me of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. From the start, you know the Coyote will never be able to accomplish his goal, but you read anyway because you want to experience his comical calamity. I also thoroughly enjoyed the flat, geometric illustrations and the contrast of Coyote's brilliant blue against the sandy, red-brown of the Southwest.
McDermott's other trickster tales include: Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest, Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa, Jabuti the Tortoise: A Trickster Tale from the Amazon, Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti, and Pig-Boy: A Trickster Tale from Hawai'i.
January 22, 2013
I gave the book 5 stars for many reasons. Coyote: A trickster tale from the American Southwest, by Gerald Mcdermott had many things to admire. appearance wise the book had great illustrations. The colors were appropriate for the age group 6-9.
The story is a about a Coyote who has a nose for trouble. it seems he is always getting in trouble. One day he asked the crows to let him fly. The crows each pluck a left feather and pin it on him. however, after the dance the coyote was unbalanced and only fell to the ground. Sine he fell because he wad unbalanced the crows plucked a right feather and pinned it on him. Now the coyote could fly, but then asked the crows to carry him. The crows didn't appreciate the coyotes comment and took their feathers back...while the coyote was in the air. Unfortunately for the coyote he fell down back to land.
This book reminded me of the roadrunner and Wiley. Wiley always managed to get into trouble as he was always looking for it. A good easy children's book to read
The story is a about a Coyote who has a nose for trouble. it seems he is always getting in trouble. One day he asked the crows to let him fly. The crows each pluck a left feather and pin it on him. however, after the dance the coyote was unbalanced and only fell to the ground. Sine he fell because he wad unbalanced the crows plucked a right feather and pinned it on him. Now the coyote could fly, but then asked the crows to carry him. The crows didn't appreciate the coyotes comment and took their feathers back...while the coyote was in the air. Unfortunately for the coyote he fell down back to land.
This book reminded me of the roadrunner and Wiley. Wiley always managed to get into trouble as he was always looking for it. A good easy children's book to read
April 7, 2014
Coyote is a humorous tale, involving a blue coyote who wanted to fly. He encounters several crows who decide to help him by giving him some of their feathers, but after he gets too vain and pompous about his new ability, they decide to trick him. After receiving the wrong feathers on the wrong legs, he ends up falling in water and rolling through the dust, giving him a dusty brown coat of fur. It’s an example of traditional literature, involving a trickster tale with a clear pattern, and using Coyote the trickster-fool, a common character in Native American folklore.
This book is excellent to use with 1st-2nd graders to practice story retelling and sequencing. I used it in a 2nd grade folklore unit by scanning the images and including captions with them in an interactive whiteboard document. As a class, we took the scrambled pictures and re-ordered them, then matched up the captions with the pictures, and the students practiced retelling the story to each other. It’d also be great to use in comparing folktales and the cultures that influence them.
This book is excellent to use with 1st-2nd graders to practice story retelling and sequencing. I used it in a 2nd grade folklore unit by scanning the images and including captions with them in an interactive whiteboard document. As a class, we took the scrambled pictures and re-ordered them, then matched up the captions with the pictures, and the students practiced retelling the story to each other. It’d also be great to use in comparing folktales and the cultures that influence them.
September 11, 2016
9/10/2016 ** Excited to share these tales with another group of students.
11/25/13 ** Hmmm, my curricular cycle seems to be a little ahead of last year's. Kids loved this just as much this year as last year.
12/3/12 ** Read this aloud as part of a unit with my fourth graders in which we are comparing and contrasting various trickster tales and discussing the ways that culture influences the various tales. My students have thoroughly enjoyed Coyote and McDermott's many other folktale adaptations.
11/25/13 ** Hmmm, my curricular cycle seems to be a little ahead of last year's. Kids loved this just as much this year as last year.
12/3/12 ** Read this aloud as part of a unit with my fourth graders in which we are comparing and contrasting various trickster tales and discussing the ways that culture influences the various tales. My students have thoroughly enjoyed Coyote and McDermott's many other folktale adaptations.
October 13, 2007
Such a fun book about a coyote who has a nose for trouble. At first I thought it was too slow, but my son LOVES it! Worth owning.
August 1, 2011
1995 PEN Center USA Award Winner for Children's Literature
May 4, 2017
Personal Response:
My brother and I read Coyote by Gerald McDermott. My brother's name is Brandon Patino Luna. He is six years old and is in kindergarten. We enjoyed reading this book. It was a story full of humor and excitement. The illustrations were also very beautiful. Also, my brother was able to relate to this book. This was because, like the coyote, he had a nose for trouble.
Plot:
Blue Coyote had a nose for trouble, so wherever he went he found trouble. He first got bit when he stuck his nose into a badger’s hole. Later, he wanted to have a flaming redhead like Woodpecker, but his fur caught fire. Then he went looking for a snake but only found more trouble. Although, that was not the end to his troubles. He went to a place where earth meets sky. There he heard laughing and singing, so he went up to take a look. He noticed that the noise came from a flock of crows that were singing and dancing. Coyote was surprised when the birds spread their wings and flew through the air and circled the canyon. This made Coyote wish he could fly and become the greatest coyote in the world. When coyote asked to join the crows, the crows agreed. Although, the crows had bad intentions with letting coyote join them. First, Coyote danced with them, but he said he wanted to fly too, so the crows “helped” Coyote fly. They “helped” him by plucking one feather from their wings and stuck the feather in Coyote. Once it was time to fly Coyote said he was ready and he felt very proud of himself. When Coyote tried flying, he lost balance and fell to the ground. The evil birds returned to “help” Coyote after his fall. They decided they needed to balance Coyote, so they plucked more feathers from themselves and stuck them in Coyote’s fur. Afterwards, Coyote tried flying again. Once again, he lost balance. Coyote screamed for help, but the crows didn’t help him. Instead, they took back their feathers one by one. Once again, poor Coyote had followed his troublesome nose and found trouble.
Recommendations:
This book is aimed towards younger kids. This is because the grammar used was easier and the content matter was less mature. Both genders would enjoy reading this book. This is because the book is not gender specific and they can both relate to Coyote in many different ways.
My brother and I read Coyote by Gerald McDermott. My brother's name is Brandon Patino Luna. He is six years old and is in kindergarten. We enjoyed reading this book. It was a story full of humor and excitement. The illustrations were also very beautiful. Also, my brother was able to relate to this book. This was because, like the coyote, he had a nose for trouble.
Plot:
Blue Coyote had a nose for trouble, so wherever he went he found trouble. He first got bit when he stuck his nose into a badger’s hole. Later, he wanted to have a flaming redhead like Woodpecker, but his fur caught fire. Then he went looking for a snake but only found more trouble. Although, that was not the end to his troubles. He went to a place where earth meets sky. There he heard laughing and singing, so he went up to take a look. He noticed that the noise came from a flock of crows that were singing and dancing. Coyote was surprised when the birds spread their wings and flew through the air and circled the canyon. This made Coyote wish he could fly and become the greatest coyote in the world. When coyote asked to join the crows, the crows agreed. Although, the crows had bad intentions with letting coyote join them. First, Coyote danced with them, but he said he wanted to fly too, so the crows “helped” Coyote fly. They “helped” him by plucking one feather from their wings and stuck the feather in Coyote. Once it was time to fly Coyote said he was ready and he felt very proud of himself. When Coyote tried flying, he lost balance and fell to the ground. The evil birds returned to “help” Coyote after his fall. They decided they needed to balance Coyote, so they plucked more feathers from themselves and stuck them in Coyote’s fur. Afterwards, Coyote tried flying again. Once again, he lost balance. Coyote screamed for help, but the crows didn’t help him. Instead, they took back their feathers one by one. Once again, poor Coyote had followed his troublesome nose and found trouble.
Recommendations:
This book is aimed towards younger kids. This is because the grammar used was easier and the content matter was less mature. Both genders would enjoy reading this book. This is because the book is not gender specific and they can both relate to Coyote in many different ways.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2020
It is so much fun when you are introduced to a new author. An author who offers readers such a wide variety of works to read and enjoy. Gerald McDermott is new to me. And, boy, am I enjoying his works!! Go ahead and ask, “Then why only 2 stars?”
I enjoyed the story Coyote as a trickster okay. I grew up on Looney Tunes. You know, Roadrunner and Coyote. 😃😂 I just found this story and lesson a little too cerebral for the younger reader. Even as an adult, I had to really think about the message. (Please don’t think poorly of me).
Take a chance. You may enjoy it.
I enjoyed the story Coyote as a trickster okay. I grew up on Looney Tunes. You know, Roadrunner and Coyote. 😃😂 I just found this story and lesson a little too cerebral for the younger reader. Even as an adult, I had to really think about the message. (Please don’t think poorly of me).
Take a chance. You may enjoy it.
September 14, 2013
The Native American children’s folklore, Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest, author and illustrator is Gerald McDermott. A blue furred Coyote, selfish and determined to look for trouble, finds a flock of crows having a good time. The Coyote tries to imitate the crows, but fails. When the Coyote’s tail catches fire, the crows laugh and fly away. Hence, the legend of why a Coyote is the color of dust with a black tipped tail. This book is intended for Primary and Intermediate readers. No awards were distributed to the author for writing this book. I rated this book as a five.
The plot of the book is about trying to be different than what God intended. Even though the illustrations are brightly colored, the images are drawn realistically. The Coyote is colored blue until the end of the book, when the Coyote tumbles into dirt and remains the color of dust forever. The Coyote’s appearance is razor sharp and frightening looking. As for the crows, they are illustrated in an Indian fashion sense. The head crow is named Old Man Crow and wears a red headband and an Indian stone necklace, representing the Chief. The six other crows wear green headbands and no necklaces, representing the tribe. The crows are designed with geometrical shapes and abstract art on the wings and tails. The illustrations are larger than life size and consume the whole page. The text is larger than normal to complement the large illustrations. Daytime is illustrated until the last page when the Coyote is limping home at night.
Due to the crow’s unity, Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest is recommended. Children will learn how to stay together as a family and help others in need. Even though the crows take back the feathers, the crows tried to teach the Coyote a lesson. The lesson is to not imitate others and to be comfortable as an individual that God intended. The Coyote’s symbolization of conniving and trickster ways will explain to children how not to act with others.
The plot of the book is about trying to be different than what God intended. Even though the illustrations are brightly colored, the images are drawn realistically. The Coyote is colored blue until the end of the book, when the Coyote tumbles into dirt and remains the color of dust forever. The Coyote’s appearance is razor sharp and frightening looking. As for the crows, they are illustrated in an Indian fashion sense. The head crow is named Old Man Crow and wears a red headband and an Indian stone necklace, representing the Chief. The six other crows wear green headbands and no necklaces, representing the tribe. The crows are designed with geometrical shapes and abstract art on the wings and tails. The illustrations are larger than life size and consume the whole page. The text is larger than normal to complement the large illustrations. Daytime is illustrated until the last page when the Coyote is limping home at night.
Due to the crow’s unity, Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest is recommended. Children will learn how to stay together as a family and help others in need. Even though the crows take back the feathers, the crows tried to teach the Coyote a lesson. The lesson is to not imitate others and to be comfortable as an individual that God intended. The Coyote’s symbolization of conniving and trickster ways will explain to children how not to act with others.
March 6, 2013
This is my second book by Gerald McDermott. This story is completely different than any Native American Literature I've read so far. Usually, in this genre, it involves the character being courageous and brave. However, in this story, the Coyote is ignorant and arrogant. He becomes boastful and becomes very self conceited. The gist of the story is that the Blue Coyote wanted to fit in with the crows and be able to fly. Once the crows assisted the Coyote to fly, he became ungrateful and rude to the crows. Thus, the crows turned their backs on the Coyote and he tumbled down and failed to fly. When he fell down, he was covered with dust. Therefore, that is why coyote is grey today. Some aspects of the story go along with the genre. Such as the ending, when it explains why things are the way they are today. Also, the illustrations have a Aztec design to them. This story could teach students to always stay humble and be thankful for what we have. The sentences are short and easy to read, so this book would be ideal for third graders or strong readers in second grade.
February 10, 2010
Format: Picture Book
Award: ALAN 1995 (ALA Notable Books for Children)
This award is given for commendable quality and or creativity in chilren's literature.
This is a Native Amercian tale from the Southwest. Coyote is always getting into trouble. He finds a flock of crows and wants them to teach him how to fly so he could be the greatest coyote in the world. The crows decide to have fun with him instead. Gerald McDermott has written other trickster tales from West Africa and Pacific Northwest and other regions.
This book would be great to use with K-2nd grade. The pictures and bright and colorful and the vocabulary is easy for them to understand.
Award: ALAN 1995 (ALA Notable Books for Children)
This award is given for commendable quality and or creativity in chilren's literature.
This is a Native Amercian tale from the Southwest. Coyote is always getting into trouble. He finds a flock of crows and wants them to teach him how to fly so he could be the greatest coyote in the world. The crows decide to have fun with him instead. Gerald McDermott has written other trickster tales from West Africa and Pacific Northwest and other regions.
This book would be great to use with K-2nd grade. The pictures and bright and colorful and the vocabulary is easy for them to understand.
June 11, 2012
Picture Book
Gerald McDermott once again captures the charm of the trickster tales. This time it is Coyote who can not leave well enough alone when he asks the crows for a favor and then rubs their noses in it.
Tricksters are a favorite of mine in a lot of different cultures. It seems Mr. McDermott has similar feelings. His illustrations are visually appealing no matter your age or culture. This is one of the key reasons I like to present him to my students. At 4 years old there are shapes, colors, and a whole host of other elements which can appeal to every child in my circle.
Gerald McDermott once again captures the charm of the trickster tales. This time it is Coyote who can not leave well enough alone when he asks the crows for a favor and then rubs their noses in it.
Tricksters are a favorite of mine in a lot of different cultures. It seems Mr. McDermott has similar feelings. His illustrations are visually appealing no matter your age or culture. This is one of the key reasons I like to present him to my students. At 4 years old there are shapes, colors, and a whole host of other elements which can appeal to every child in my circle.
August 1, 2012
Coyote has a nose for trouble. He spots some crows dancing and wants to join the fun. They allow it for a moment, but as soon as Coyote begins making demands of them, he is left behind in a cloud of dust.
McDermott draws beautiful pictures with gouache, colored pencils, and pastels. He vividly depicts the silly story of a vain character. This story is an excellent read-aloud for a audience of many ages.
Theme: Native American tales
Additional themes: coyotes, crows, tricksters
Reviewed from a library copy.
McDermott draws beautiful pictures with gouache, colored pencils, and pastels. He vividly depicts the silly story of a vain character. This story is an excellent read-aloud for a audience of many ages.
Theme: Native American tales
Additional themes: coyotes, crows, tricksters
Reviewed from a library copy.
August 27, 2013
I loved the moral of this story, the illustrations, and the geographic location, the American Southwest.
I'd like to read McDermott's other trickster tales. They include: Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest, Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa, Jabuti the Tortoise: A Trickster Tale from the Amazon, Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti, and Pig-Boy: A Trickster Tale from Hawai'i.
I'd like to read McDermott's other trickster tales. They include: Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest, Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa, Jabuti the Tortoise: A Trickster Tale from the Amazon, Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti, and Pig-Boy: A Trickster Tale from Hawai'i.
January 17, 2009
THis picture book has great language appropriate for the young age group. It is simple and descriptive. The images are also beautifully depicted in this book. The colors are well chosen and tell part of the folktale. The color scheme is bright and exciting, the story is fun and interesting.
August 11, 2023
C) Folklore, age between 4 to 5
This book is about a coyote that always makes trouble and how he became this day coyote, and why he always brings trouble. They narrate why he represents trouble with folklore.
The reason why I gave 3 stars (I wanted to give 3.5, but there was no option for that) is mainly the storytelling, and the illustration is decent for young readers. I did not grow up in Coyote culture, so I cannot relate to this story, but, it creates a certain sense of the hazardousness of coyotes. The illustration is fun and simple, the story is slightly unnatural. However, it talks well about why he represents trouble and how he became this day's appearance enjoyable and fun way. The illustration could be more silly, looking for both coyotes and crows.
If I have to use this book for a class activity, I would ask kids to draw the face of crows after they make fun of coyotes. Also at the same time, I will ask kids to create artwork about coyote before and after reading this book, before how they think about coyote and after reading book how they think about coyotes.
This book is about a coyote that always makes trouble and how he became this day coyote, and why he always brings trouble. They narrate why he represents trouble with folklore.
The reason why I gave 3 stars (I wanted to give 3.5, but there was no option for that) is mainly the storytelling, and the illustration is decent for young readers. I did not grow up in Coyote culture, so I cannot relate to this story, but, it creates a certain sense of the hazardousness of coyotes. The illustration is fun and simple, the story is slightly unnatural. However, it talks well about why he represents trouble and how he became this day's appearance enjoyable and fun way. The illustration could be more silly, looking for both coyotes and crows.
If I have to use this book for a class activity, I would ask kids to draw the face of crows after they make fun of coyotes. Also at the same time, I will ask kids to create artwork about coyote before and after reading this book, before how they think about coyote and after reading book how they think about coyotes.
April 16, 2018
This trickster tale from the American Southwest tells the story of troublemaker Coyote, who wants to sing, dance and fly like the birds. When Coyote learns his new tricks, he becomes boastful… Causing the birds to teach him a well needed lesson. This was a fun read, even for me and I am well out of elementary school. The illustrations in the book are vibrate and made with gouache. Illustrator McDermott uses a more box style of artwork but I find it very fitting for this piece. There are multiple lessons that come from this that a teacher with a younger group of kids could talk about after reading, some of those lessons include; be kind, don’t be a trouble maker and respect those around you. There are also many lessons teachers could follow after the completion of this book, one would be drawing about and talking about a time they were not kind/respectful and it got them back or you could have students discuss the setting, and main characters, the options are endless.
April 18, 2018
This trickster tale from the American southwest tells the story of troublemaker Coyote, who wants to sing, dance and fly like the birds. After the birds teach him, Coyote becomes boastful and starts making even more trouble. The birds then decide to give him a taste of his own medicine in this classic tale of karma. I love the illustrations in this book, which are executed using gouache, colored pencil and pastels. They are overall very bright and vibrant colors and I especially enjoy the coyote being portrayed as blue rather than what an average coyote looks like. This would be a great book to read to your students and have them practice and work toward understanding how to retell a story and identify its central message. McDermott does a beautiful job telling the story through his illustrations. Coyote conveys an important lesson; be kid, don’t be a troublemaker and respect those around you. This is a particularly important message for young children.
December 23, 2024
Birds of a feather flock together
I am not sure exactly where this story comes from save for being from the American Southwest and Coyote being a pretty popular trickster figure in Indigenous folklore. Like they say in the book though Coyote has a nose for trouble and this is one such tale as they find some crows looking for a little fun. Through Coyote's antics a lesson about the troubles of pride is told while also showing us how they got their present fur color.
While the story has probably been fairly simplified for younger readers, from whatever the origin was, the story is still pretty solid and the pictorial depictions in the book are colorful and fun like what one might think of the angular style of certain cultures.
If you are curious about modern takes on classic oral tales or perhaps interested in teaching your children about mythology this is a good book to add to your or their collection. :)
I am not sure exactly where this story comes from save for being from the American Southwest and Coyote being a pretty popular trickster figure in Indigenous folklore. Like they say in the book though Coyote has a nose for trouble and this is one such tale as they find some crows looking for a little fun. Through Coyote's antics a lesson about the troubles of pride is told while also showing us how they got their present fur color.
While the story has probably been fairly simplified for younger readers, from whatever the origin was, the story is still pretty solid and the pictorial depictions in the book are colorful and fun like what one might think of the angular style of certain cultures.
If you are curious about modern takes on classic oral tales or perhaps interested in teaching your children about mythology this is a good book to add to your or their collection. :)
October 7, 2024
I enjoyed this trickster tale because of the overall lesson in this book and the illustrations were very alluring. Coyote shows us the dangers of being boastful and how, sometimes, if we are boastful too often people will not want to be our friends anymore. It also shows us that just because we are kind to someone does not mean they will be too. I would use this classic tale as a read-aloud in my classroom, then I would lead a discussion about being boastful and how to be a graceful winner, and how to avoid being a sore loser. I think this book could start meaningful conversations on how we feel when our friend is bragging and discuss ways we can be kind in the classroom. This would be especially helpful to read if you play a lot of games in your classroom where these types of boastful behaviors may come up more frequently.
October 21, 2025
This story is filled with colorful illustrations and humours lessons about pride and envy.
We have a tale about a coyote who wants what he cannot (and perhaps should not) have. Yet, he pushes to try to get his way. The crows are kind and give him what he wants, letting him join in on their dance and flight. Is it enough for our trickster coyote? No, it's not, and it does not end well for the coyote.
I really enjoyed this story. It was fun to learn more about how a coyote got its coloring. This tale was an easy read and I can see students enjoying it. The story, especially for older groups, could be used as a stepping stone to research similar stories and learn more about the animals and nature around them through different cultures takes'.
We have a tale about a coyote who wants what he cannot (and perhaps should not) have. Yet, he pushes to try to get his way. The crows are kind and give him what he wants, letting him join in on their dance and flight. Is it enough for our trickster coyote? No, it's not, and it does not end well for the coyote.
I really enjoyed this story. It was fun to learn more about how a coyote got its coloring. This tale was an easy read and I can see students enjoying it. The story, especially for older groups, could be used as a stepping stone to research similar stories and learn more about the animals and nature around them through different cultures takes'.
September 28, 2017
There are many reasons why I really enjoyed reading this book. It is about a blue coyote who always seems to be getting himself in trouble. He meets some crows and wants to be like them, the crows give him the opportunity but he does not take advantage of it. The moral of this book is that you should always be thankful for what you have and appreciate everything you have. It also includes the native american culture which is something I love because you do not see enough books out there that actually involve cultures. Great book!
November 15, 2017
This version is a cute, fairly simple story of Coyote. Our lovable troublemaker wants to fly like the crows.
My second graders were able to relate to the social dynamics displayed in this myth. Coyote goes from asking for help to rudely boasting, and pays the price for his arrogance. They also enjoyed the visual of him trying to dance and flap his feather laden arms.
I hope to look into the other books by McDermott for future read aloud selections.
My second graders were able to relate to the social dynamics displayed in this myth. Coyote goes from asking for help to rudely boasting, and pays the price for his arrogance. They also enjoyed the visual of him trying to dance and flap his feather laden arms.
I hope to look into the other books by McDermott for future read aloud selections.
June 18, 2020
I bought this book a few years ago because I love coyote stories. I used it this summer to create a virtual program for our library patrons. He was a "star" as I read him and highlighted why he was a trickster and what happens to tricksters. The artwork is a great representation of the Southwest and the different colors that are in that landscape. A delightful read for young and old alike.
Gerald McDermott has written several other "trickster" books that are also worth a look.
Gerald McDermott has written several other "trickster" books that are also worth a look.
September 13, 2018
This book is really well done. It is about a coyote who wants to fly like the birds he sees on top of a ridge. At first the birds think it is funny, and they invite Coyote to join in. However, he eventually gets very cocky about being able to fly, and the birds get very annoyed with him. I think this book would be perfect for a lesson on humility or coyotes.
November 25, 2020
Wherever Coyote goes you can be sure he’ll find trouble. Now he wants to sing, dance, and fly like the crows, so he begs them to teach him how. The crows agree but soon tire of Coyote’s bragging and boasting. They decide to teach the great trickster a lesson. This time, Coyote has found real trouble!
March 5, 2019
McDermott may have been the best you could do, looking for picture books of folktales that were anything other than European, back in the early 90s in your local bigbox bookstore. It's been 25 years, and there's better stuff out there, now.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews