127. Trickster: Native American Tales, A Graphic Collection

Trickster: Native American Tales, A Graphic Collection edited by Matt Dembicki (Canada) - (US)

Pages: 231
Ages: All Ages
Finished: May 25, 2011
First Published: June 1, 2010
Publisher: Fulcrum Books
Genre: Graphic Novel, Folktales, Legends, Short Stories
Rating: 5/5



First sentence:

When the Mother Earth was extremely young, things were not as they are now.

Acquired: Received a review copy from Fulcrum Books.

Reason for Reading:  This was a Cybils '10 nominee and I hadn't read it by the time judging was due as it was not a contender by that time and I'm just now getting to it.

I have to admit I was not exactly excited about reading this book.  Graphic anthologies have mostly been a miss for me in the past and though I love myths and legends, Native American tales are not exactly my favourite (tall tales don't do it for me either).  So it was with some trepidation I read the first story which I found entirely entertaining, as I did the next, and the next, and the next, and so forth.  The book contains a total of twenty-one tales and I only found one to be "ho-hum", the rest were funny and amusing with a few on the more serious side but still delightful.  The book itself is a gorgeous work of art with thick, glossy quality paper and a firm binding that will last repeated readings.  The artwork is wonderful.  Each story is illustrated by someone different and the various art styles create a gorgeous book to wander through.  The stories are suitable for all ages both in text and illustration.  There is no indication of intended audience and I recommend it for all ages.  Adults will certainly appreciate the stories on a higher level than children, but the book is easy reading for approximately grade five and up, with the stories being entirely acceptable to read aloud to much younger children.  A fine book, I'm glad to own!  Wish I hadn't taken so long to read it!