Coyote Goes Walking

by Tom Pohrt

Coyote-a creator, a messenger, and, above all, a trickster-is at his mischievous best in these adventures retold from Native American sources. Brilliant illustrations depict the playful character in four "Coyote Creates a New World," "Coyote and Mice," "Coyote and Woodpecker," and "Coyote and the Buffalo Bull."

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 12, 1995

About the author

Tom Pohrt is an illustrator of chidren's books well known for his work on Crow and Weasel.

Reviews

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book presents four Native American folktales featuring coyotes. This collection depicts the coyote in "...the prominent role of creator, messenger, and, above all, trickster." (p. 7)

The stories are very short, printed in a large font. And the illustrations are fantastic. They are mostly realistic images in earthy tones, with some animals portrayed with anthropomorphic touches to add some humor to the stories.

interesting quote:

"Coyote, though his antics, teaches us the importance of listening, paying attention, and respecting all that surrounds us." (p. 7)

[Monique · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collection of Coyote stories starts with Coyote causing a flood and creating a new world full of beings he makes from mud. In each of the tales that follow the creation story, Coyote gets himself into a ridiculous situation from which he is saved through accident or the help of others. When he gets his head stuck in an elk skull, he blunders around until he falls and it breaks. In another story, he tries to collect food by imitating a woodpecker. He also angers the spirit of a great buffalo bull by not respecting the bull's skull. Coyote walks away from each situation without learning any lessons. Based on Native American mythology, these beast tales are classic stories of Coyote, the trickster who lives in all of us. Fine Print source notes can be found on the title page and Pohrt gives an introduction that could serve as a "Background as source note".

Pohrt's versions of these stories are presented with a traditional picture-book placement of the text and seem thin. The language is not rich or particularly repetitive. There is also little sense of cadence. Pohrt's illustrations also lack richness of color and scope. The earth tone illustrations are fairly clever, but many of them give the reader little sense of place and there is a great deal of white space. This could invite readers to fill in with their own surroundings to draw them into the story. For readers unfamiliar with the character of Coyote, or without reference to the Native American cultures, it may cast them adrift.

[Boxofdelights · Rating 2 out of 5]

Four Coyote tales, retold and illustrated by Tom Pohrt. I like the retellings, which are simple and strange, but not the illustrations, which are a weird combination of realistic and something that might be an attempt to represent that Coyote is simultaneously an animal and a god. Coyote's paws, for example: these weird fubsy lumps might be intended to look like hands without looking too wrong at the ends of a coyote's limbs, but they just look like bad drawing.

[Linda Rusche · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book requires a story teller and discussion to learn the lessons told here. Illustrations are fun!

[RunningRed NightBringer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little picture book with stories of Coyote, the character from Native American myth.
There's only four stories:
Coyote creates the world and people, Coyote screws up a ceremony put on by mice in an elk skull, Coyote invites Woodpecker to dinner, and Coyote pisses of a buffalo ghost by playing soccer with his skull.
The stories are simplified and sanitized. You're not going to find the bawdier tales or ones where Coyote really fucks up. It's a collection to introduce Coyote to children.
It could have and should have had a few more stories. It's really thin and you'd finish the book in less time than it takes to read this review.
Unless you're reading it slowly as a bedtime story.
One saving grace, and the main reason I picked up the book, and still keep it, is the art.
Pohrt has a cute art style, depicting Coyote as a four-footed animal often wearing a fur coat and a silly expression on his face as he's oblivious to the messes he gets into.

I was unable to find any information on the author beyond blurbs on publishing and bookselling websites, all clearly drawn from each other. I couldn't find any social media presence, website or art gallery. Rather curious in this day and age. I suspect the name is a pseudonym for someone who, like Bill Watterson, really values his privacy, or an alias by the publishers for ghostwritten work.

If you're only interested in thick compendiums of Coyote tales transcribed from the lips of native elders, this isn't a book for you.
If you're a fan of Coyote and enjoy a light romp to read to kids or while brushing your teeth, then pick it up if you see a copy in the shop. And enjoy the art.

[Sean]

Well, I like that there are no overt "morals" to these stories. It's weird when non-Natives tack on morals to Native stories like they're fables.

Otherwise, not great, not bad.

[Kelly Chesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Illustrations are awesome. Loved the story telling of Coyote. Great treasure for any library.