The People of Twelve Thousand Winters

May 1, 2012

Gr 2-4-Walking Turtle and Little Talk are children of the Lenni Lenape, living in an undetermined time in a region now part of New Jersey. They seem wise beyond their years as they convey the way of life and some of the cultural practices of their people. Ten-year-old Walking Turtle explains the relevance of his name. At his naming ceremony his mother was told, "He shall carry his people on his back, as steady and sure as a hard-shelled turtle...." He recounts how he has carried his cousin Little Talk on his back for some years because the younger boy was born with a crooked foot. Their families live together in "a three-fire lodge." Walking Turtle describes the fall gathering of food and the Giving Thanks Ceremony in which the clan celebrates the coming change of season. Just before the evening's festivities, his father explains to him that after the winter he must attend Warrior School. Sad that he will have to leave Little Talk behind, he takes the younger boy up to a rocky overhang where they have a heartening talk about their futures. "Walking Turtle, you are strong. I am giving you back your straight legs, your strong back, and your kind heart to take with you." Nicely painted views of the surrounding terrain, daily activities, and the boys create a good sense of people and place, and the romanticized tale is a pleasant introduction to the Lenni Lenape. The author adds a concluding note about her inspiration for the story.-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2012
Grades 2-5 Long before the arrival of the first Europeans, the Lenni Lenape people lived near what is now northern New Jersey. Noble imagines what life was like for a 10-year-old boy, Walking Turtle, growing up at that time in his village above the Passaic River. Part of the Tales of the World series, this picture book weaves in cultural details through the boy's personal narrative of how he cares for his disabled cousin, Little Talk, carrying him on his back along the river, through the mountains, and even to the Great Salt Sea. Then it is time for Walking Turtle to attend warrior school, and he worries about who will care for his cousin. Glowing, crackle-textured paintings show the bond between the two boys set against the landscape and customs of their community, including the dramatic Giving Thanks Ceremony in the Big House, when their leader tells them to be caretakers of their great land. A moving glimpse of what has been lost. A glossary and an author's note conclude.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)