Keepers of the Night: Native Stories and Nocturnal Activities for Children

Pat Galloway, formerly the resource librarian at the Toronto & District
Parent Co-operative Preschool Corporation, is currently with the
Scarborough Public Library.

Night is the wonderful regular experience of the unknown. So often in
urban society, though, night is seen merely as an unavoidable disruption
in our busy schedules. This is not so in all cultures. In the words of
Keepers of the Night, it is “another world—the nearest frontier to
our doorstep.” For the First Peoples of North America, night has its
distinctive place in the cycle of life, and the urban child will be
fascinated by the richness of life, both real and imagined, that lies
behind the veil of darkness.

This lovely book vibrantly and meticulously presents an integrated
approach to the mystery and the science of darkness, introduced through
the Native perspective. Adroitly weaving folklore with fact in an
imaginative way, Keepers of the Night aims to make children as
comfortable in a nocturnal environment as in broad daylight, and teems
with stimulating indoor and outdoor activities for children of all ages.
Teachers and parents will find this book exciting to use as they guide
children through activities based on astronomy, botany, and Native
ritual and legend.

Many wonderful drawings and illustrations, a map that locates the
tribes whose lore is featured, a glossary, and detailed instructions for
teachers are among the books’s added features. Highly recommended.