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Module 2 Traditional Literature - THE FIRST STRAWBERRIES: A CHEROKEE STORY - Written by Joseph Bruchac & Illustrated by Anna Vojtech


 

Module 2 – Book Review 1 

Review of Joseph Bruchac’s THE FIRST STRAWBERRIES: A CHEROKEE STORY 

*This review was written for a course through Sam Houston State University. 

 

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Bruchac, Joseph. (1993). THE FIRST STRAWBERRIES: A CHEROKEE STORY. Ill. By Anna Vojtech. Puffin Books. ISBN: 1428718028 

 

2. SUMMARY 

Joseph Bruchac retells a Cherokee origin myth explaining where strawberries came from and their importance to the Cherokee people. The story talks about a man and a woman who were made by a Creator. They were married and happy for a long time until one day, they had a disagreement because the woman had been picking flowers and did not have food ready to eat for the man. The woman grew angry at his harsh words and left to go west. The husband followed her but could not catch her. The sun watched the situation unfold, recognized how sorry the man was, and offered to help him. The sun shined down with first raspberries, then blueberries, and then blackberries, but the woman did not see them. He then shined the light directly at her feet where strawberries grew, and she finally saw them in front of her. She ate the berry, and it was so sweet that it reminded her of her husband. She then picked some to take to him. The man finally caught up with her, and he apologized to the woman as they shared the strawberries. The strawberries became a reminder to be kind. 

 

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS  

Bruchac retells the Cherokee story using characters that represent different archetypes which work to reflect the complexities of relationships. The man and the woman showcase traits such as love and anger and how people connect to portray moral lessons and the importance of empathy for others. The personified sun represents empathy and compassion by trying to help reconcile the man and woman. 

 

The plot of "The First Strawberries: A Cherokee Story" is simple but still holds emotional depth. The setting of the story is established quickly as the earth when man and woman were first created. There are several themes represented in the story, such as love, conflict, and reconciliation. The reader can clearly see the healing power of relationships as man and woman encounter conflict but then have compassion and understanding for one another with the reminder of the strawberries, which helps to better understand human connection and the significance of relationships. The style includes cultural specificity through the writing and illustrations which helps to reinforce the importance of nature and relationships within the Cherokee nation. 

 

Bruchac’s “The First Strawberries: A Cherokee Story” is a Native American myth and not a part of an anthology, as each tribe typically had its own stories and myths. So, there is no single body of myths to create a single anthology, and it must be taken as its own story. 

 

The illustrations are an important part of understanding the emotional depth of the story by offering colorful double page illustrations that are rich in detail to landscape and the people. The illustrations help to set the mood and pace for the story. Something to note is detail to the man and woman’s facial expressions. Even the sun is detailed. There are times the book has a double page of only illustrations to relish comfort or build tension. The text is integrated throughout the book in the corners of the pages so as to not take away from the beautiful illustrations. 

 

This story was interesting to me for two reasons. The first is this story is a great example an origin myth that would work well to simply explain the term in my Native American literature unit for my junior level English course. The second and more important reason has to do with being a mother of two young boys. When I read this story to my children, they immediately made the connection of being kind and even made the personal connection to their own belief system that the personified sun in the story was like God. Although they did not understand the nuance of reconciliation in marriage, they did recognize the need for kindness to others. 

 

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) 

Horn Book Guide starred (March, 1994)  

In a Cherokee creation tale, the first man and woman quarrel, and the woman walks quickly away. The brief, readable story, accompanied by strong and spare illustrations, carries a valuable message about friendship and respect.  

Kirkus Reviews starred (1993)  

A gentle story of the Sun's healing of marital discord by a gift of ripe strawberries that magically grow at the feet of an angry woman as she flees her husband's harsh words, thus halting her departure long enough for him to catch up and make amends. Thereafter, the story concludes, whenever the Cherokee eat strawberries, they are reminded to be kind to one another.  

Publishers Weekly (June 22, 1998)  

This legend explains the origins of strawberries, grown by the sun to help the first man and woman patch a quarrel. Spare text, an uncomplicated story line and gentle illustrations keep this quiet but resonant tale accessible to even the youngest child. 

 

5. CONNECTIONS  

  • Related Books - Other books for children to make connections with Native American folktales and stories that reveal creation and origin myths within different tribes 

  • Oughton, Jerrie: HOW THE STARS FELL INTO THE SKY: A NAVAJO LEGEND. ISBN 9780395779385 

  • Van Laan, Nancy: RAINBOW CROW. ISBN 9780679819424. 

  • DePaola, Tomie: THE LEGEND OF THE BLUEBONNET. ISBN. 9780698113596 

  • Enrichment Activities -   

  • Strawberry Art Project – create strawberry themed art to have an activity that fosters creativity and connects art to literature 

  • Character emotions – talk about the emotions of the man and woman in the story and the actions of the sun and its effect on the story 

  • Forgiveness – talk about how important it is to forgive others and ask them about a time they forgave someone or were forgiven

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