Children of the Wind and Water: Five Stories about Native American Children

by Stephen Krensky, James Watling (Illustrator)

Depicts traditional lifestyles in five different tribes of North American Indians through vignettes set in a time more than two hundred years ago, when they still had much of the continent to themselves

Genres: Historical Fiction, Native American, Childrens, Picture Books, Fiction, Historical, Thanksgiving

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Nichole · Rating 1 out of 5]

Um.... I didn't get past the introduction because ... "The following stories recreate some of the experiences of Native American children who lived almost two hundred years ago..." and "we can still learn from the Native American way of life" (but, you know.... not the Native Americans who are alive NOW.) Rubbed me the wrong way. So then I tried to find professional #ownvoices critique of this book, but so far haven't come up with anything. If you're looking for resources, the first place I always look is https://americanindiansinchildrenslit... . They did have another Stephen Krensky book on there, which they did not recommend. (I also found the posts labeled Scholastic helpful and interesting.)

[Rosalie Beyer-Krohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: This collection of short stories offers a glimpse into what the daily lives of various Native American tribes may have been like roughly 200 years ago. Each story is told from the perspective of a child in the tribe, making it easier for children to relate to these tales.

Genre: Multicultural. This book shows what life may have been like for Native Americans many years ago, allowing the reader to appreciate the similarities and differences of other cultures.

Reading Level: O

Mentor Text Trait:

Organization: This book uses an introduction to give the reader context for what they are about to read. Students could use it as a mentor text for writing introductions to enhance their own writing.

Other Uses: This text would work well for comparing and contrasting daily life in the past and present. It could also be used as part of a Native American unit, especially looking at their relationships with nature.

[Montana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t wait to use this book in my classroom! I love the short stories from five different tribes—from the child’s POV!! It provides a broad overview of each tribe and they’re living and traditions. I really like the additional resources as well: map, glossary, introduction, etc. this will make a great “engagement” portion of my Native American unit for my 4th & 5th graders.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short stories of Native Americans about there life and the way they live!! It fun book to read!

[Joy Gerbode · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fun stories of Native American kids and the various things they do for fun and learning skills for life. Very interesting and easy reads.

[Kristen]

Short stories that opened up a conversation about Indians/Native Americans, and how they are NOT all Pocahontas... lol.

[Tony Petry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read. This book includes five stories about the experiences of the Muskogee, Dakota, Huron, Tlingit, amd Nootka children.

[Brenda]

Prolific writer... across genres. Look up other titles by him.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection of five short stories about Native American Children and the lives they lived.