Rainbow Bird: An Aboriginal Folktale from Northern Australia - Hardcover

Kindergarten-Grade 3-"Long ago in the Time of Dreams when the world was being born," Fire belonged only to rough, tough Crocodile Man. He guarded his possession jealously and when the other animals complained and begged him to share it, he just laughed and growled, "'I'm boss for Fire!'" Bird Woman felt sorry for all those, including herself, who lacked light and warmth. Knowing that she could never overpower the fierce creature, she watched and waited patiently until Crocodile Man opened his jaws to yawn. She flashed down from her perch, snatched up the firesticks, and flew around the country putting Fire into the heart of every tree. From that day on, people have been able to make flames from dry wood. In celebration, she put the firesticks into her tail and became the beautiful Rainbow bird. Kennaway's vibrant watercolors are nicely suited to this pourquoi tale, told in a simple straightforward style. As in her previous books, such as Lazy Lion (Little, 1990), she uses a bright palette of clear yellow, orange, and brown, creating paintings that are as warm and glowing as Crocodile Man's Fire.
Linda Boyles, Alachua County Library District, Gainesville, FL
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 3-6. Bold, luminous watercolors illustrate a simple aboriginal pourquoi story that explains how fire came to humankind. In the Dreamtime, nasty Crocodile Man hoards fire for himself: "I'm boss for Fire." But plain Bird Woman watches from her cold treetop until Crocodile Man gives the "widest, longest, sleepiest, biggest yawn anyone had ever seen." Swooping down, she snatches the firesticks and brings fire to people. Sporting blazing feathers as a sign of her good deed, Bird Woman vows to stay on top, banishing Crocodile Man to the swamp below. Kennaway uses intense shades of red, yellow, and orange to emphasize Crocodile Man's sole possession of fire, a less intense palette once the element has been shared. The large-scale pictures have a strong sense of design, as everything from the scales on the reptile's back to vertical water reeds create subtle patterns. While Maddern's gracefully honed text makes this one for storytellers to cherish, it will be hard to resist sharing such splendid artwork with young children. No source note. Julie Corsaro