Alice Yazzie's Year

Alice Yazzie's Year

He is a buffalo out of Montana. He has humped shoulders and slits for eyes. . . . Just remember, old blossom eater, you can stare down the wind. This old rodeo ain't everything.Alice Yazzie is eleven, going on twelve, and with each month that passes she is beginning to see, beginning to feel. In January, she carries the smallest lamb into the hogan, because "He's all new and starry. He's too new to be cold." In July, she walks to market. "Six miles for cupcakes and strawberry pop!" In October, she is learning to sew, staying in recesses, "whipping and stitching" a costume like no one else's. And in December, Alice is sure Grandfather Tsosie has made her a bracelet, "Blue and silver-the way the world is."New edition showcases renowned Navajo illustrator.Thoroughly engaging and spirited female character.Afterword provides insight into Navajo culture and symbols.Perfect addition to Native American collections.From School Library JournalGrade 3-5-This new edition of a book originally published in 1977 (Coward; o.p.) and illustrated by Stephen Gammell chronicles a year in the life of an 11-year-old Navajo girl in spare, poetic language. Alice, who lives with her Grandfather Tsosie in a traditional hogan, starts her narrative in January. She describes the cold and how it affects their livestock, especially a lamb that must be brought inside for the night. Each month is introduced by both its English and Navajo name, followed by a passage that reflects Alice's reality. Many of her meditations are clearly influenced by the turning of the year, although others, like a visit to Disneyland and the accidental death of a friend, recount the events of her life. Clearly meant for older readers despite the picture-book format, the book compares a buffalo's eyes to "a drunk bronc rider's," which may make the intended audience even less certain. Begay's illustrations are wonderfully textured and infused with the colors of the Southwest. For some children, the artwork may be more revealing of traditional Navajo lifestyles than the pared down, almost stream-of-consciousness text. Purchase where supplemental materials on Native American culture are needed.Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.From BooklistGr. 3-6. "The snow slowed the world, the Navajo world," begins this picture book for older readers, originally published in 1977, which has been reissued with new illustrations. Told in verse, it follows 11-year-old Alice Yazzie through 12 months on the reservation, where she lives with her grandfather. The spare, atmospheric poetry (one poem for each month) vividly describes the landscape and Alice's activities, often with startling intimacy. At times, Alice's perspective is political (she speaks out against Columbus in school); at other times it is lyrical (lightning is "ghosts chasing their tails"). Begay's paintings, impressionistic dabs and swirls of brilliant color, sometimes muddy faces and expressions, but like the words, the wild patterns and hues leave room for imaginations to fill in the spaces. Whether read alone or aloud, the poems tell an affecting story about contemporary Navajo life through an appealing young character with a strong sense of history and herself. Teachers will want to use this across the curriculum; a concluding section offers more background to Navajo language and culture. Gillian EngbergCopyright