We just read How Chipmunk Got His Stripes by Joseph and James Bruchac. It is a Native-American tale about bragging and teasing.
I find that so many books for children have morals that I disagree with. Every other book (at least it seems that way) we get from the library is about putting others first or being obedient. All the others show kids using rude, sometimes cruel, behavior with siblings, friends, or parents, as a matter of course, not as a plot device. When I find a book that tells a fun, engaging tale with excellent values, I feel like I should shout it from the rooftops.
In How Chipmunk Got His Stripes, we see some bad behavior as a plot device. Bear is a braggart, and Chipmunk is a teaser. But, both of them come off looking pretty ridiculous in the book, and let me just say, it was about time some justice was doled out in a children's book. The moral can be basically summed up in this line, attributed to Chipmunk's grandmother: "It is good to be right about something. But when someone else is wrong, it is not a good idea to tease him" (Bruchac, 15). We also see Bear, who thinks he can do literally everything (including stopping the sun from rising), looking very foolish in the end.
Livy liked the story a lot, too. The text and the illustrations were funny, and the story was easy to follow. I wondered if she would be confused about whether chipmunks really were created this way, but the story was fantastical enough that she understood immediately that it was fiction. The story sparked a discussion about mythology and how people tried to explain things with stories before we had science. (I did not mention that many people still do this. Blech!)
So, I declare the story a good read, enjoyed by mom and six year old, and not requiring lengthy explanations of how wrong all the morals are. Two thumbs up.
