The following review is in partial fulfillment of the requirements for LS5603.20, Genre 2—traditional literature.
1. Bibliography
DePaola, Tomie. 1983. The Legend of the Bluebonnet: an Old Tale of Texas. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 0-399-20938-7
2. Plot Summary
The Legend of the Bluebonnet is the story of a young Comanche orphan, named She-Who-Is-Alone. Her parents and grandparents have died because of a drought and famine. The one thing she has that reminds her of her family is a doll that her mother made for her from buckskin, beads, bone, and the feathers of a blue jay. In order to find out what has angered the Great Spirits and caused the drought and famine, the shaman goes to the top of the hill. When he comes back, he tells the people that the Spirits demand the sacrifice of the most valued possession in the tribe. No one else is willing to sacrifice, but She-Who-Is-Alone takes her doll, burns it and scatters the ashes as a gift to the Spirits. When the Comanche wake up in the morning, the hillsides are covered with flowers as blue as the feathers worn by the doll, and soon the rains begin to fall. Because of her sacrifice, the girl’s name is changed to One-Who-Dearly-Loved-Her People.
3. Critical Analysis
The Legend of the Bluebonnet is an example of traditional literature. It is specific to the Comanche culture and to Texas and it emphasizes values that are important to that culture—sacrifice and unselfishness. In spite of the title, it is really more of a pourquoi tale or a myth than a legend. It attempts to explain why an event in nature (the bluebonnets covering the land in the spring) happens. Legends typically deal with actual historical persons, and One-Who-Dearly-Loved-Her-People has no historical basis in fact. In this story, she is used as a symbol of sacrifice and unselfishness. Her character is not fully developed. The reader knows very little about her except that she has no family and she is willing to sacrifice for her people. It is interesting to note that in the story, she speaks only to her doll and to the Great Spirits, not to other members of the tribe.
There is very little said about the setting of The Legend of the Bluebonnet. The reader knows that the story happens in Texas, but the story gives no other details. No specific time is mentioned, but since bluebonnets have been blooming for many hundreds of years, the reader knows that the story happened a long time ago. Time in the story passes very quickly. The story itself takes place in just a few days, and then the story jumps from ancient times to the present day in two sentences (“And every spring, the Great Spirits remember the sacrifice of a little girl and fill the hills and valleys of the land, now called Texas, with the beautiful blue flowers. Even to this very day.”)
The illustrations in The Legend of the Bluebonnet add to the beauty of the story. The colors are brilliant and there is a lot of attention paid to detail, especially in the clothing and the decorations on the tipis. The detail helps give the reader a feel for the culture of the Comanche. The pictures of the landscape reinforce the story in two interesting ways. The ground and hills are completely brown at the beginning, and then gradually change to a beautiful green covered with bluebonnets after She-Who-Is-Alone makes her sacrifice. The other way that the pictures reinforce the story is that She-Who-Is-Alone is not shown as part of the group until the end of the book. She is alone, even is she is in the same picture, until the scene where the bluebonnets are blooming. Then, reflecting her name change, she is no longer alone, but with the people she loves.
4. Review Excerpts
Children’s Literature: “Tomie dePaola provides a charming retelling of the Native American legend about the origin of Texas' state flower, the bluebonnet.”
School Library Journal: “…a solemn, simply-told tale, and the concept of an unselfish parting with a prized possession is one to which children will readily relate….the full-color paintings are nicely staged with well-executed design and color.”
Booklist: “….simple prose that plaintively tugs at the heart. The simplicity and beauty of the story echoes in dePaola’s effectively composesd illustrations. An ideal complement to native American and Texas studies, this also opens avenues too discussion with its provocative sacrifice theme.”
Horn Book: “Terse, uncomplicated prose [and] clean, uncluttered pictures filled with warm, rich colors.”
5. Connections
Companion book (also by Tomie dePaola): The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush. ISBN 978-0399215346
After reading the two books, have students choose a name for themselves based on a characteristic that they possess or on something that they have done.
Make a popcorn bluebonnet. Instructions at http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/kids/fun_stuff/arts_and_crafts/hill_country_2popcornbluebonnet.phtml
Use the book as part of a study of Texas history.
Ask students about their most valued possession. Let them draw a picture of it and write underneath it “This______ is very valuable to me because______.” Bind their pages together to make a class book. Adapt writing assignment for older students. (http://www.eduref.org/Virtual/Lessons/crossroads/sec3/k2/unit1/u1g1l1.html)
1. Bibliography
DePaola, Tomie. 1983. The Legend of the Bluebonnet: an Old Tale of Texas. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 0-399-20938-7
2. Plot Summary
The Legend of the Bluebonnet is the story of a young Comanche orphan, named She-Who-Is-Alone. Her parents and grandparents have died because of a drought and famine. The one thing she has that reminds her of her family is a doll that her mother made for her from buckskin, beads, bone, and the feathers of a blue jay. In order to find out what has angered the Great Spirits and caused the drought and famine, the shaman goes to the top of the hill. When he comes back, he tells the people that the Spirits demand the sacrifice of the most valued possession in the tribe. No one else is willing to sacrifice, but She-Who-Is-Alone takes her doll, burns it and scatters the ashes as a gift to the Spirits. When the Comanche wake up in the morning, the hillsides are covered with flowers as blue as the feathers worn by the doll, and soon the rains begin to fall. Because of her sacrifice, the girl’s name is changed to One-Who-Dearly-Loved-Her People.
3. Critical Analysis
The Legend of the Bluebonnet is an example of traditional literature. It is specific to the Comanche culture and to Texas and it emphasizes values that are important to that culture—sacrifice and unselfishness. In spite of the title, it is really more of a pourquoi tale or a myth than a legend. It attempts to explain why an event in nature (the bluebonnets covering the land in the spring) happens. Legends typically deal with actual historical persons, and One-Who-Dearly-Loved-Her-People has no historical basis in fact. In this story, she is used as a symbol of sacrifice and unselfishness. Her character is not fully developed. The reader knows very little about her except that she has no family and she is willing to sacrifice for her people. It is interesting to note that in the story, she speaks only to her doll and to the Great Spirits, not to other members of the tribe.
There is very little said about the setting of The Legend of the Bluebonnet. The reader knows that the story happens in Texas, but the story gives no other details. No specific time is mentioned, but since bluebonnets have been blooming for many hundreds of years, the reader knows that the story happened a long time ago. Time in the story passes very quickly. The story itself takes place in just a few days, and then the story jumps from ancient times to the present day in two sentences (“And every spring, the Great Spirits remember the sacrifice of a little girl and fill the hills and valleys of the land, now called Texas, with the beautiful blue flowers. Even to this very day.”)
The illustrations in The Legend of the Bluebonnet add to the beauty of the story. The colors are brilliant and there is a lot of attention paid to detail, especially in the clothing and the decorations on the tipis. The detail helps give the reader a feel for the culture of the Comanche. The pictures of the landscape reinforce the story in two interesting ways. The ground and hills are completely brown at the beginning, and then gradually change to a beautiful green covered with bluebonnets after She-Who-Is-Alone makes her sacrifice. The other way that the pictures reinforce the story is that She-Who-Is-Alone is not shown as part of the group until the end of the book. She is alone, even is she is in the same picture, until the scene where the bluebonnets are blooming. Then, reflecting her name change, she is no longer alone, but with the people she loves.
4. Review Excerpts
Children’s Literature: “Tomie dePaola provides a charming retelling of the Native American legend about the origin of Texas' state flower, the bluebonnet.”
School Library Journal: “…a solemn, simply-told tale, and the concept of an unselfish parting with a prized possession is one to which children will readily relate….the full-color paintings are nicely staged with well-executed design and color.”
Booklist: “….simple prose that plaintively tugs at the heart. The simplicity and beauty of the story echoes in dePaola’s effectively composesd illustrations. An ideal complement to native American and Texas studies, this also opens avenues too discussion with its provocative sacrifice theme.”
Horn Book: “Terse, uncomplicated prose [and] clean, uncluttered pictures filled with warm, rich colors.”
5. Connections
Companion book (also by Tomie dePaola): The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush. ISBN 978-0399215346
After reading the two books, have students choose a name for themselves based on a characteristic that they possess or on something that they have done.
Make a popcorn bluebonnet. Instructions at http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/kids/fun_stuff/arts_and_crafts/hill_country_2popcornbluebonnet.phtml
Use the book as part of a study of Texas history.
Ask students about their most valued possession. Let them draw a picture of it and write underneath it “This______ is very valuable to me because______.” Bind their pages together to make a class book. Adapt writing assignment for older students. (http://www.eduref.org/Virtual/Lessons/crossroads/sec3/k2/unit1/u1g1l1.html)
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