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transmission without written permission of the publisher. Text copyright by Ann Dixon. All rights reserved. Please contact for permission
to use.
The Sleeping Lady
Elizabeth
Johns, illustrator
32
pages, Softbound, $8.95, ISBN 0-88240-495-4
Hardbound, $15.95, ISBN 0-88240-444-X
Alaska
Northwest Books
A
classic retelling of the beloved legend about Mt. Susitna.
For ages 4 to adult.
1995 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award, Best Children's Book
"Told with appealing contrasts, intriguing shadows, and a refreshing intensity of color, the book provides a link between geography and literature."
-- The Mailbox: The Idea Magazine for Teachers
"Beautiful and enchanting pictures help to make this modern-day folk legend one children will want to read over and over again. Its message about war and peace leaves a lasting impression on the reader." -- Reviews from Parent Council™
"The passages flow like poetry."
-- Small Press
"Dixon’s serene presentation resonates with the simplicity of a Native American legend. Johns’s oil paintings are an apt complement, their handsome, ethnic-appearing characters and reverence for the land adding drama and atmosphere. Especially striking are the illustrations’ thematic borders, which subtly reflect the story’s changing moods."
-- Publishers Weekly
"The text is reserved and compelling, and the paintings reinforce its tone and mood with earthy, folk-style images of the people and their land."
-- The Horn Book
"Although the setting is unique to Alaska, the text, which focuses more on the story line and action than on description and detail, will hold the interest of readers, storytellers, and listeners everywhere. A great introduction to or enhancement for units on war, peace, decision making, cooperation, love, or myths and legends."
-- School Library Journal
"Outstanding from a learning perspective."-- Parent Council™
"I just wanted to share the wonderful effect of reading the story of The Sleeping Lady in my class. It's a very well written legend that touched the hearts and minds of my middle school students. It caused valuable discussions and even some tears. It brought all of my students closer to one another. Thank you for publishing the book. I highly recommend it to all teachers. It brings about some precious teachable moments."
-- Olga Alvord, ESL Teacher
Mears High School
I retold the legend of The Sleeping Lady for several reasons. One was simple need. Fifteen years ago, when I was working as a librarian, there were very few accurate, well-crafted picture books available with stories about Alaska. Each week I found myself reading stories from all around the world to my Story Time group -- except stories from Alaska. Yet, from my own reading of folk tales and legends, I knew many fine stories existed.
My first idea was to learn a couple stories to simply tell the children. I was familiar with Raven stories, probably from growing up in the Pacific Northwest, so I researched those, finally settling on the well-known myth about Raven stealing the sun, moon and stars. I'd also read snippets and summaries of a legend about Mt. Susitna, or The Sleeping Lady as she is known around Southcentral Alaska. Working through various libraries, I gathered all the information and variants I could find. Using those sources, I wrote down a version for each story that told the heart of the tale in a way I could remember.
I learned those two stories by heart and then told them. By the time I'd done all that work, I'd grown to love the stories. Both deserved a much larger audience, I felt, than my little Story Time group. If I could get them published, many people, both in and out of Alaska, would be able to know them. Teachers and librarians would have additional resources, as well.
My first book (now out
of print) was How Raven Brought Light to People, published in 1991
by Margaret K. McElderry Books. The Sleeping Lady, though written for
retelling at the same time, took a bit longer to become a book. Alaska Northwest
Books published it in 1994.
return
to top of page
The Sleeping Lady legend is a story about a real mountain in Southcentral Alaska. Look in an atlas at a detailed map of Alaska. Can you find Cook Inlet? Mt. Susitna? Hint: Look around the city of Anchorage.
Make up your own story about giants who turned into mountains. Explain why and how the change occurred.
If you live in an area with mountains nearby, try to find out if there are any legends about these mountains. Ask older persons who have lived in the area a long time. Also ask your librarian for information on local legends.
Do you think Nekatla would have been successful in negotiating peace with the warriors if someone had not thrown a spear? Why or why not?
Is it easier to start a fight or to stop one? Write about a time when you were in a fight with someone, or could have been. How was your problem solved? Would you solve it the same way again, or can you think of a better way?
Links:
For information about prehistoric Alaska, visit www.geoworld.org/na/usa/ak/prehistory/index.php. To learn more about your own state or other parts of the world, go to www.geoworld.org and follow the links to the places you are interested in."
For more books about Alaska, check out www.gacpc.com. Click on "Alaska Northwest Books" or "Children’s Books."
