Thirteen Moons on Turtle’s Back: A Native American Year of Moons by Joseph Bruchac and Jonathan London

THIRTEEN MOONS ON TURTLE’S BACK: A NATIVE AMERICAN YEAR OF MOONS by Joseph Bruchac and Jonathan London

Bibliography:

Bruchac, Joseph, Jonathan London. 1992. THIRTEEN MOONS ON TURTLE’S BACK: A NATIVE AMERICAN YEAR OF MOONS. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.  ISBN: 0-590-12708-X

Plot summary: The story begins with a young Apenaki boy watching his grandfather carve a turtle out of wood on a spruce log.  The boy counts the scales on the turtle’s back and realizes there are 13. The grandfather explains that this represents the 13 moons in each year. His grandfather then tells him the 13 stories of the moons.  The first moon is in winter.  The poem talks about the frost giant and how he strikes the trunks of the cottonwood trees with his club making them crack.  This scared the people and they hid in their homes, but clever coyote learned the frost giant’s magic song and when he sang the giant slept.  So unless they hear the coyote’s song they stay inside where it is safe.  The second moon is still during winter and speaks about a small child lost in the snow who was taken in by a mother bear. The 3^rd moon is in the fall.  The Anishinabe believe that a long time ago their people could lay on the ground and just let the maple syrup run into their mouths.  Then when the Creator saw how lazy the people had gotten he sent his helper Man-a-bo-sho to pour water into the trees so that the people would have to boil out the maple syrup. The 4^th moon is winter turning into spring.  The Cree believe that when Wis-a-ked-jak the trickster came down to discuss with the animals about how many moons of snow there should be he talked to a moose, a frog, and a beaver. The frog said there should only be as many winter moons as toes on my foot. The 5^th moon takes place in spring.  The Huron story says that one winter Old Man Winter refused to leave.  The people asked for help from the sun who went to Old Man Winter’s home and had a white owl take him back to the snow of the north. The 6^th moon is in late spring.  The Seneca believe that one spring there was a little boy who went down to the river to fish where the Jo-ge-oh (the little people who care for the plants) lived.  The boy shared with them what he caught and the little people took him in a magic canoe to teach him things and give him strawberries.  The 7^th moon is in fall.  The Pomo believe that when the Creator (Earth Elder) was creating the Earth he shaped the Earth, the water and then stopped to think of what the people would need.  The Creator then made a giant oak tree that gave off acorns for the people to eat. The 8^th moon is when they harvest rice and corn.  The Menominee people believe that a long time ago Bear came out of the ground and became human but was very lonely so he called to the Thunder Eagle to be his brother on Earth. To the Thunder people he gave fire and corn.  To the People of the Bear he gave wild rice.  The two families then exchanged their gifts with one another.  The 9^th moon is in fall when the leaves turn.  This moon belongs to the Micmac and their story of the moose.  The story says that long ago when the creator asked the Moose what he would do when he saw human beings the Moose answered,” I will throw them up high on my sharp horns.” So the Creator made his horns flat so he could not hurt the people.  The 10^th moon is in late fall when the leaves fall.  The Cherokee believe that long ago the trees where told to stay awake for 7 days and nights.  However, only the pine, cedar, and spruce were still awake on the 7^th day.  The 11^th moon is in late fall early winter.  This story from the Winnebago says that deer used to keep their horns year round to protect themselves and fight.  However, the maker saw that they were still fighting in their winter lodges and were suffering greatly, so he made them drop off.  The 12^th moon belongs to the Lakota Sioux.  They believe that long ago when a wolf chief passed on he told his people to follow his footsteps when they died.  As his spirit walked to the sky his footprints left stars for them to follow.  The final moon is from the Abenaki and is about creation.  They believe that the changer who was formed from the creator, came to Earth and created the mountains and created Lake Champlain (Peh-ton-ba-gok).  When the changer was dying he came back to the lake completing the circle of his travels. 

Critical Analysis: This book is both beautifully written and illustrated.  The watercolor pictures wonderfully accompany the stories progression through the different moons.  My personal favorite part is that it’s not just one tribe.  The stories come from all different tribes including the Cherokee, the Cree, and the Abenaki.  The story itself begins with the boy and the 13 moons on turtle’s back and then ends with the words, “Its name is the last in our circle of seasons, thirteen moons on Old Turtle’s Back” making it a circle as well.  I think this book would be a great way to introduce Native American culture to students in a classroom or in your home.

Review Excerpts:

·      Publisher’s Weekly: “This unusual and intelligent book is an exemplary introduction to Native American culture with its emphasis on the importance of nature”

·      Kirkus Reviews: “Folklorist Bruchac and poet London work together on brief, dignified retellings of Native American legends for the accompanying text, properly pointing out in an afterword that tribes in different areas see different seasonal patterns and hold different beliefs.”

Connections:

·      This book is a great way to introduce Native American culture and stories.

·      Other great books by this author:

o   Bruchac, Joseph. A Boy Called Slow. 1998. ISBN: 978-0698116160

o   Bruchac, Joseph. Between Earth and Sky. 1999. ISBN: 978-0152020620

o   Bruchac, Joseph. Many Nations. 2004. ISBN: 978-0439635905