Book
Reviews:
Ancient
Stories
Reviews
by Dawn Brunke
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Born
with a Bang:
The
Universe Tells Our Cosmic Story
(Book
One)
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Both
Books by
Jennifer
Morgan
Illustrated
by
Dana
Lynne Andersen
(Dawn
Publications, 2002 and 2003, softcover, $9.95 each)
See
www.dawnpub.com
for more.
|
From
Lava to Life:
The
Universe Tells Our
Earth
Story
(Book
Two)
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“I
was bursting with wild and dazzling dreams of galaxies, stars and
planets in radiant colors—bright yellow, molten red, piercing
blue…” So begins the story of the beginning of the cosmos
as told from the perspective of—the Universe! Author Jennifer
Morgan has done a fantastic job of exploring what “Earthling
scientists” know about the birth and early growth of the
universe and expressing it in an exceptionally engaging voice.
From the initial dream of creation to the first burst of a
fireball, from particles and anti-particles to atoms and stars,
from black holes and elements and supernovas to the “nine young
planetary pups” that now swirl around our sun, the Universe goes
through amazing transformations. Illustrations by Dana Lynne
Andersen are equally vibrant and alluring as the text—enough to
excite any reader of any age to the wonders of this incredible
place we call home.
This
is truly a wonderful book that anyone in your family will enjoy.
In addition to the fantastic text and pictures are some excellent
resource pages, including a “timeline of triumphs” in the
universe’s life, some scientific discussion on many of the
concepts presented (perfect for intermediate readers), a glossary,
and letters from “two formations of stardust,” the noted
authors Thomas Berry and Brian Swimme. My main recommendation for
this book is that it so beautifully interweaves science and
spirituality, art and poetry, in a truly creative and joyful way.
Well, how else could it be? As the Universe reminds us at the end
of this delightful book, “I am a uni-verse, which means
‘one song.’”
From
Lava to Life
begins where Born with a
Bang left off, as the Universe relates the story of the
formation and growth of our earth. “Inside a huge spinning
disk of dust, Earth began as a pint-sized planetary pup, warmed by
the Sun. But she couldn’t stay small…” Indeed, the crashing
of meteors, spewing of lava and churning of liquid rock began to
cook our inventive planet, whose “dreams were packed with worms
and wolves, daffodils and dinos, raccoons and baboons, peach trees
and palm trees, caves and castles.” Once again, author Jan
Morgan does a fantastic job of teaching her readers through
captivating prose and thought-provoking images. From battling
bacteria to growing colonies of eukaryotes, from the morphing of
earth’s animal population to the spread of giant ferns and
gargantuan dragonflies, from mass extinction to the rise of the
dinosaurs, this planet has seen a lot of change!
A
glossary is also at the back of this book, along with a
“timeline of triumphs” and some stories of evolution that
inspired the story. Again, this is a great book for anyone in your
family who is up for some exciting adventure in learning. As the
Universe says at the end of this tale, “my adventure depends
on all of my parts living their own adventures.”
We best get busy!
Besiin
(Owl) and Tsaani (Grizzly Bear) are two examples of the Ya Ne Dah
Ah stories, passed down through numerous generations of the
Athabascan people. Originally, these stories were told to children
by their elders as a way to learn life lessons, be respectful, and
understand the difference between right and wrong. As Katherine
Wade, founder of the Ya Ne Dah Ah School in Chickaloon and teller
of the tales within these books, notes, the stories were kept by
the village elders as unaltered as possible, though they were not
written down. Thus, “the listening ability of the Athabascan was
very important in order to pass traditional values to the next
generation.”
For
the first time, these stories have been put in print, not only for
those in the
Chickaloon
Village
,
but for all to share. In Besiin, Owl takes matters into his own
claws when a spoiled child in the village won’t stop crying.
Tsaani, or the Grizzly Bear story, concerns a young brave who
meets a father and his two daughters who are actually bears. The
brave falls in love with one of the daughters and sets out to
fulfill the ancient native custom of working for the woman’s
family for one year to prove his ability to provide a living.
Disaster occurs when the brave shoots a black bear who is actually
his beloved in her bear form.
Wade’s
text has been richly supplemented by her grandson, Dimi Macheras,
who has provided his own original, vibrant, comic-book style
illustrations. The result is a unique combination of ancient
folklore, modern technology, Ahtna language and distinctive art.
Each booklet has a limited premiere edition of 150 copies, and all
proceeds go to the Ya Ne Dah Ah school.
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