The Little Indian Weaver

by Madeline Brandeis

Brandeis has put together a delightful series of books about children around the world. Contents of this book: The Corn Ear Doll; Something Terrible Happens; At the Trading Post; The Prayer Stick; At Bah's Hogan; Billy Starts His Story; All About the Indians; and Who Wins the Radio?

136 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1928

About the author

Madeline (Frank) Brandeis, born and educated in San Francisco, traveled the world in search of stories to tell, aiming the lens of her camera at the lives of her characters. She married E. John Brandeis on January 28, 1918, and had a daughter, Marie Madeline. Brandeis married a second time, to Dr. Joseph A. Sampson, on October 5, 1933. They lived in New York City.

Brandeis began her writing career at a time when children’s literature was just coming into its own. The publication of dozens of her titles for children and adolescents, including the Children of All Lands series (1933) and the novel Six Face the World (1938), reflected the explosion in the quantity and quality of books for children that began in the 1920s and 1930s. In addition to illustrating her books with photographs from her travels, Brandeis took up the movie camera in her role as producer of eight motion pictures for children. Her work does not deal overtly with her own Jewish identity, although the themes of respect for different cultural and national heritages and of passing down family traditions and values resound in her books. In The Little Swiss Wood-Carver, the poor mountain boy of Switzerland keeps the memory of his artist father alive in his own work; and in The Little Spanish Dancer (1931), the young dancer is reminded of how her Spanish foremothers, despite persecution, secretly took their daughters into the dim light of caves in order to teach them the art of the dance.

Madeline Brandeis died at age thirty-nine in Gallup, New Mexico, of injuries suffered in an automobile accident.

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a set of these as a child & found some in an antique store. They're very dated, but it was fun to read them again. It was also interesting reading about the author from an adult's perspective

[Vikrant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun easy read

It was easy read . I think it was more of a school time book than an adult fiction. The story is too simplistic

[Aileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story in an old timey way. Remember the year, 1928. Photos are lovely.

[Suzanne Moran · Rating 2 out of 5]

With consideration that it was written in 1928, some views are prejudiced and cringeworthy. Otherwise it was an easy to read, vintage children’s book.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If this is the first book a child reads about Native Americans, he/she would probably want to read more. The Navajo family is presented as hard-working and caring, similar to the presentation of Billy's family who is visiting the reservation. Both children have time to play, but they also have work to do. Given that this was written in the 1920s, some of the comments are 'cringeworthy,' but these are easily smoothed over with slight word substitutions if an adult is reading this to a child. If the child is reading, they'd probably focus on the story and not read closely enough to retain any significant misconceptions.