The Robin and the Song Sparrow

Kelly L. Green is editor of the Canadian Book Review Annual’s
Children’s Literature edition.

The story of the robin and the song sparrow is a legend of the Dakelh
people that is very similar to the fable of the ant and the grasshopper.
In this case, the lazy robin is left to freeze and starve without enough
strength to fly south for the winter.

In The Boy Who Snared the Sun, a boy who goes out to hunt squirrels is
distracted by a rainbow, onto which he climbs, and from which he is able
to snare the sun. When the sun’s heat causes him to realize his
mistake, he must figure out a way to correct it, which he does with the
help of a shrew and a mouse. There is a cost, however, that the boy does
not anticipate.

These vividly illustrated Dakelh legends, retold by Catherine Bird of
Fort St. James, B.C., include black-and-white coloring-book versions of
the same stories. The text is written in English and in four dialects of
the Carrier (Dakelh) language. The deceptively simple books are
remarkably powerful, and will appeal not only to the children from whose
tradition they are drawn, but also to any child who enjoys well-told
folk tales. They will be especially useful, however, in reinforcing
language skills and interest in Carrier-speaking children. Recommended.