Shota and the Star Quilt

Shota is a young Lakota girl who lives in a contemporary American city. When the block that her family and friends live on is slated for re-development by the wealthy, cold and lonely Starman who owes half the city, she and her friend Esther create a beautiful Lakota quilt to save their homes and community. Their efforts lead the Starman to empathise with them and their communtiy, and in turn they empathise with him too, helping him to find peace within himself. 

It's a story of cultures, capitalism, and community activism - but the politics are introduced gently through storytelling, and the complexities are gripping to children, I think, because few children's books take on such real challenges. The text is narrated in English and Lakota, side by side, making the cross-cultural story real, as if a native American child could be reading it along with you. It's a beautifully illustrated picture book that I would recommend to children aged four and up. 

 

0
No votes yet
Author(s): 
Christine Fowler
Margaret Bateson-Hill
Gloria Runs Close to Lodge
Philomine Lakota
Year: 
2001
Book type: 
Country: 
United States