One Small Blue Bead

by Byrd Baylor, Ronald Himler (Illustrator)

Overview

A band of men sat huddled in a cave
Where coals of fire glowed warm and red.
Boy lay curled on a bed of leaves
But he sat up when an old man said: "This thought keeps spinning in my head.
There must be caves just like our own
Somewhere
And other axes made of stone
Somewhere
And other men like me."
Though only Boy shares his dream, the old man leaves the tribe to search for what the world may hold. Boy does the old man's work in his absence and watches hopefully for his return...
For any good thing
Can happen when
The world is full of
Tribes of men
Who know that they have brothers.
First published in 1965 and long out of print, Byrd Baylor's powerful story is newly illustrated with Ronald Himler's vigorous yet tender pictures.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780684193342
Publisher:	Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	03/31/1992
Edition description:	2nd ed
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Byrd Baylor lives and writes in Arizona, presenting images of the Southwest and an intense connection between the land and the people. Her prose illustrates vividly the value of simplicity, the natural world, and the balance of life within it.

Ron Himler lives in Tucson, Arizona. An interest in American Indian culture first brought Mr. Himler to the southwest, and his work often features western subjects as well as historical themes. His paintings are frequently exhibited in galleries in the southwest. Ron Himler has illustrated more than seventy-five children’s books.

Editorial Reviews

PreS Up-- First published in 1965 (Macmillan; o.p.) with illustrations by Symeon Shimin, this title returns with new pictures. Baylor tells in verse the story of a prehistoric boy whose tribe believes that they are the only humans in existence. An old man questions this notion but can set out on a quest of discovery only if someone takes over his work. ``Boy,'' who up to then had contributed little to the groups' welfare, volunteers to take the old man's place. Months go by and at last the old man returns, accompanied by living proof of his hypothesis--a stranger, a boy from a different tribe, who brings with him a turquoise bead. The bead becomes for the tribe, and for readers, the symbol of connection with other human beings. The new edition has fewer pages; thus, the text is crowded on some pages. Shimin depicts a very young child; Himler's boy seems much older, leading readers to wonder how he had avoided work. While Shimin's pictures are largely one color, Himler's are gloriously vivid with brilliant blue skies and sunny earth tones. Striking, however, is not the differences but the similarities in the two editions. The pictures resemble each other greatly in subject matter, in composition, in placement of figures and poses. Himler seems to have used Shimin's original ideas and expanded on them, adding detail with color. Although Shimin's pictures lack the depth of elaboration found here, his human figures almost leap with gracefulness. Himler's people look chunky and stiff. Both editions offer valuable visions. --Ruth Semrau, Lovejoy School, Allen, TX

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