Native history, culture featured in book

By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff Writer

GALLUP — "D is for Drum: A Native American Alphabet" would be a welcome addition to any local elementary school library and classroom.

The children's book, written by Debbie and Michael Shoulders and illustrated by noted Navajo artist Irving Toddy, is part of Sleeping Bear Press' award-winning alphabet book series. Released earlier this year, the book is particularly appropriate for local young readers, ages four to 10.

"D is for Drum" features each letter of the alphabet with an accompanying illustration by Toddy and two separate levels of text a shorter and simpler rhyming text for beginning readers and a longer, more explanatory text for upper elementary school-aged children. The book offers readers a glimpse into the traditional history and culture of many contemporary tribes in the United States and Canada - sometimes through shared cultural items like bison, corn, drums, flutes, horses, medicine pouches, rattles, and sometimes through tribe-specific topics like the game of lacrosse from the Choctaws, the Chinook potlatch, Inuit umiak boats, Yup'ik masks, and the Xai Xais tribe of British Columbia.

Native American culture of the Southwest is featured in "A" for Anasazi, "J" for Jewelry, "K" for Kiva and Kachina, "W" for Weaving, and "Z" for Zuni pottery.

"G" for Gold is the only entry that is out of sinc with the theme of the book. All the other 25 letters are linked to native culture and the text has a positive or neutral tone. The letter "G" is focused on non-native people and has a decidedly negative tone, particularly in the shorter text for the younger readers. The expanded text for older readers offers a more balanced perspective on the positive and negative impact of non-native people as if that complex subject can really be addressed in paragraph of 106 words.

In spite of that flaw, the book is extensively researched and contains much information for children who are interested in traditional Native American culture.

Toddy's large, picture-book illustrations complement the text. Even beginning readers who can't decipher the vocabulary in the short, rhyming text will have much to look at and enjoy in Toddy's lavish, detail-filled illustrations.

"D is for Drum," $16.95, is available through local book stores, southwestern gift shops, and Internet book dealers. Southwestern galleries that sell Toddy's paintings may also have autographed copies of the book available for purchase.