Yokki and the Parno Gry (Travellers Tales) - Hardcover

PreS-Gr 2—This traditional story introduces readers to Yokki and his Traveler family, who live a normal Romani lifestyle—moving along familiar routes throughout the year as they sell and trade their goods and services. "Yokki loved to sell the spoons he had made. It gave him the chance to talk to all sorts of people, Traveling Folki and settled folk, and to listen to their stories." Yokki, embodying the cultural value of oral storytelling, entertains the family with his tales. When the boy and his happy, industrious family hit a string of bad luck, money and food grow scarce. Yokki lifts people's spirits by making up the tale of the Parno Gry, a white horse that would fly into the camp and carry them away to a place of plenty. As things continue to worsen, the child's grandfather scolds him, telling him to stop spouting nonsense, but Yokki's grandmother, the Phuri Dai, counsels that dreams are all they have left. That night, Yokki's dream horse actually appears, bringing them to a place full of new possibilities and teaching them the value of a child's imagination. An introduction covers the basic lifestyle and values of Romani and Traveler culture. The copyright page includes a glossary of Romani terms, but it is easily missed as part of the front matter. The soft, open watercolors portray endearing figures, and the Parno Gry is beautifully patterned with birds. Its sweeping tail and fetlocks evoke feathers as the horse speeds across the sky. VERDICT A unique and gorgeously presented read-aloud for one-on-one and small group sharing; a must-have for most collections.—Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Library, MN