Coyote and the Laughing Butterflies

K-Gr 3—A delightful retelling of a Tewa legend. Lovable, lazy coyote is sent by his wife to the big salty lake to bring back salt for cooking. When he is caught napping on the shore by butterflies, they decide to fool him and carry him home without the salt. This trick is thrice repeated until at last coyote awakes at home with the bag of salt beside him. This so pleases his wife that she cooks a feast for all of their friends, including the laughing butterflies who to this day cannot fly in a straight line but flutter to and fro chortling over their successful joke. The book concludes with a helpful author's note on the character of coyote himself and the origin of the tale. The softly textured batik illustrations add feeling and depth to this simple legend. Dusty oranges, blues, tans, and greens capture the New Mexican landscape and bring to life the vibrant scenes of the mesa and the animals' expressions and antics. A satisfying selection, creatively designed, with beautiful pictures and striking imagery.—Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY

Copyright 1995 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.