The Hero Twins: A Navajo-English Story of the Monster Slayers

by Jim Kristofic, Nolan Karras James (Illustrator)

Overview

The Hero Twins tells the story of two brothers born to Changing Woman and trained by the Holy People to save their people from the naayéé’, a race of monsters. But the naayéé’ can’t be beaten alone. Family and friends and wise mentors must lead any warrior down the good path toward victory. Colorful illustrations show the action as the twins seek out their father to receive the weapons they need to face the greatest monster of them all: Yé’iitsoh.

Told in Navajo, the Diné language, and English, this story exists in many versions, and all demonstrate the importance of thinking, patience, persistence, bravery, and reverence. These teachings still help the Diné—and everyone—find the harmony of a balanced and braver life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780826355348
Publisher:	University of New Mexico Press
Publication date:	02/15/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	52
File size:	5 MB
Age Range:	9 - 13 Years

About the Author

Jim Kristofic grew up on the Navajo Reservation in northeastern Arizona and has worked on and off the “Rez” for more than ten years as a river guide, park ranger, journalist, ranch hand, and oral historian. He’s written for the Navajo Times, Arizona Highways, High Country News, and Native Peoples Magazine. His memoir, Navajos Wear Nikes: A Reservation Life, was a finalist for the 2012 Spur Award and was named a 2011 Southwest Book of the Year.

Nolan Karras James is an artist, songwriter, powwow dancer, guitarist, and former rodeo cowboy from Piñon, Arizona. His father is Many Goats Clan (Tł’izi Lání) and his mother is Apache (Chíshí).

Editorial Reviews

12/01/2014
Kristofic, author of the memoir Navajos Wear Nikes, and newcomer James recount a portion of the Navajo creation story, following the birth of the Hero Twins, their growth and training, and their efforts to locate their father (the Sun) for help in defeating the naayéé (monsters) that threaten their people. James’s vivid pencils combine elements of geometric Navajo symbolism and iconography with a superheroic comic-book sensibility brought to both the brothers and the terrifying creatures they battle (an artist’s note sheds light on James’s vibrant use of color). While this is both a challenging and a streamlined recounting, the briefly described episodes of the brothers’ exciting encounters with rocks, reeds, and dunes that threaten to crush, slice, and boil them, among many other perils, may prompt readers to seek out more information about the brothers’ exploits. Ages 9–13. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

"This colorfully illustrated tale of two brothers searching for their true father and facing down a fearsome monster teaches how obstacles can be overcome through patience, cooperation, and bravery."
—Cowboys & Indians

"An excellent resource for those learning Navajo."
—Skipping Stones

"A thrillingly melodramatic tale kept close to its Navajo roots."
—Kirkus Reviews

"James's vivid pencils combine elements of geometric Navajo symbolism and iconography with a superheroic comic-book sensibility brought to both the brothers and the terrifying creatures they battle."
—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2014-11-18
Illustrations incorporating images drawn from traditional sand painting and pop culture alike accompany a new Navajo/English version of the early exploits of a pair of mythic heroes.Kristofic opens with the expressed hope that he's telling the story "in an accurate and respectful way without exposing too much of its sacredness." He begins the tale by establishing the oppression of the Emergence People by vaguely described but monstrous naayéé'. Then Changing Woman gives birth to twins who grow up to overcome various challenges on the way to defeating Yé'iitsoh, a metal-clad giant, and earning their names: Monster Slayer (Naayéé' neizghání) and He Who Cuts Life Out of the Enemy (Na'ídígishí). In James' vigorous pictures, the Twins, their father, the Sun (Jó'honaa'éí), and their robotlike adversary are usually human figures with the rippling thews and poses of comic-book superheroes—but transformations occur frequently; when placed in the sky, the Sun takes an abstract form, for instance. A thrillingly scary, half-human Spider Woman headlines a cast of other stylized figures. The author doesn't connect these Twins with others from pre-Columbian New World mythology, but he supplies a prefatory note on the cultural significance of the colors in the pictures. Throughout both the Navajo text and the English translation placed beneath, small marker icons are placed in equivalent spots so that readers can compare words and phrases. A thrillingly melodramatic tale kept close to its Navajo roots. (Bilingual folk tale. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews