How Raven Got His Crooked Nose: An Alaskan Dena'ina Fable

by Barbara J. Atwater (Retold by), Ethan J. Atwater (Retold by), Mindy Dwyer (Illustrator)

Overview

2019 Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) Notable and American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) 2018 Best Book.

Chulyen the trickster raven loses his nose one day, but he vows to get it back. Luckily he has some special powers to help him!

How Raven Got His Crooked Nose is a modern retelling of a traditional Native American fable. Part picture book and part graphic novel, this beautifully illustrated story teaches an important lesson to children through Dena'ina mythology and includes a glossary of Dena’ina words to learn.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781513264394
Publisher:	Turner Publishing Company
Publication date:	09/22/2020
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	298,370
Product dimensions:	7.70(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Barbara Jacko Atwater is a retired teacher, village administrator, and author of Walter's Story, about her great uncle Walter Johnson who was a respected Dena'ina elder. Before passing away at the age of ninety-three, her uncle left Barbara and her son, Ethan, fables and folklore of their Native American ancestors, including the story of Chulyen the raven. She hopes to carry forward the traditional stories of the Dena' ina people and share their history just as her great uncle did for their family. Barbara currently lives in Soldotna, Alaska.

Growing up in Alaska, Ethan Jacko Atwater engaged with his community at an early age and worked as a camp counselor and interned with the Cook Inlet Tribal Council. He is currently attending college and is passionate about educating children on Dena'ina folklore.

Mindy Dwyer is a prolific children's book author and illustrator, with over a dozen books published in print. She is the recipient of "Not Just For Kids Anymore Award" from the Children's Book Council, a National Parenting Publication Award, and a Young Readers Choice Award. She loves the magic and make-believe places that fairy tales offer, that they "give us permission to hold onto a childhood promise that 'anything is possible and we were put on this earth to take part in adventure.'" She now lives in the Pacific Northwest, where she continues to dream big and wonderful stories.

Interviews

"This is a modern retelling of a traditional fable and includes a glossary of Dena'ina words to learn. Whenever our great uncle Walter Johnson told us a story he would say, ‘Now you go and tell this story in your own way.’ We have taken this both as permission and as a directive.” —Barbara Atwater

"I really wanted to draw the reader into this story. I began with a black marker, drawing bold shapes, cutting and collaging papers to build a palette. A small color book dummy evolved by doing, there were no mistakes at that point. The playful process allowed us all to see the shape of the book as it grew into a picture book with a graphic novel.” —Mindy Dwyer

Editorial Reviews

"One of the best books I have read all year! A wonderful trickster tale, set as a morality tale for children in the most clever, dramatic way. Just perfect illustrations in tandem with the authors' tribute to their family's storytelling traditions, and to a language with less than 100 who still speak it today. I was so intrigued, I've done further research on Chulyen the Raven, as I've mostly read trickster tales from elsewhere. Said the raven to me: Read some more!". —Carl Lennertz, Children's Book Council Bulletin

From the Publisher

"Dwyer’s illustrations are eye-catching; the raven is bold and loud while the narrators and their setting are soft and subtle. The story is told with care and respect, passed down from the authors’ own ancestors. This lesser-known tale from a distant and possibly unfamiliar culture will broaden and enhance any collection of folk literature. Background information about Dena’ina history and culture is also included. Additional Resources. Glossary."

School Library Connection

Working in graphic novel–style panels, Dwyer introduces Chulyen, who is boldly depicted with patterned black and purple plumage and lime-green eyes. . . use of strong contrasting colors brings a fresh, modern sensibility to this tale, while patterns and motifs are suggestive of traditional Dena’ina art.

Publisher’s Weekly

Working in graphic novel–style panels, Dwyer introduces Chulyen, who is boldly depicted with patterned black and purple plumage and lime-green eyes. . . use of strong contrasting colors brings a fresh, modern sensibility to this tale, while patterns and motifs are suggestive of traditional Dena’ina art.

Publisher’s Weekly

03/01/2018
PreS-Gr 2—A grandmother shares a traditional Dena'ina tale about Raven, an oft-featured trickster deity in Alaskan Native mythology. The Dena'ina people live in Southcentral Alaska, part of the Athabascan language group and this tale was passed on from an elder to the authors (his niece and great nephew). In the book, the grandmother and child perform traditional activities (berry picking, salmon fishing, and cleaning) in a contemporary setting while she retells the story. (One quibble regarding the chronology of the artwork: the pair is first shown cleaning a fish and next they are shown catching one, which may confuse young readers.) The font and illustration style differ in the present narrative and the animal fable. The scenes of the retelling are visually strong; their bold style pays homage to traditional painting and mask styles. In comparison, the artwork accompanying the matriarch and her grandchild looks amateurish. Laced throughout are Dena'ina words with pronunciation guides. Back matter includes more information on Dena'ina storytelling and people, a glossary, and suggested further reading. These provide only the briefest glimpses into a complex culture, but will round out the story sufficiently for most readers and encourage the curious to seek more information. The conversational writing style and the clean layout design make this an easy read-aloud choice to share with a group. VERDICT A fine addition to nonfiction collections to highlight Dena'ina culture and traditional stories.—Elizabeth Nicolai, Anchorage Public Library, AK

School Library Journal