And Then It’s Spring. DVD. 8 min. Weston Woods. 2013. ISBN 0-545-57133-2. $59.95; CD: $12.95; CD with hardcover book: $29.95.
PreS-Gr 2–“First you have brown…all around you have brown.” A boy and his dog wait and wait in the gloom of late winter for the first signs of spring. Blue sweater and red pom-pom hat brighten an otherwise bleak landscape as the boy digs, plants, sows…and waits. Accompanied by his equally
anxious pooch, a rabbit, a turtle, and a bird, he looks for some color of the season. “Is that a little green?,” he wonders, wielding a magnifying glass to a small mound of dirt. “No, still brown.” He also worries…have the birds eaten all the seeds? Has the bears’ stomping crushed them? While the young gardener bemoans the fact that the bears can’t read his “Please, no stomping” sign, viewers chuckle as one beast stretches and lazily scratches his underarm with the sign while another sits with a flowerpot on his head. A wish for rain works, resulting in a “hopeful, very possible sort of brown.” An underground maze shows mice and worms readying the ground while a “greenish hum” fills the air. Then the sun shines brightly as the boy hangs a tire swing and sways patiently. Walking outside the next morning to greet the relentless brown, he is happily surprised—“And now you have green! All around you have green.” Erin E. Stead’s whimsical wood-block-and-pencil illustrations are gently animated, adding to Julie Fogliano’s tender tale (Roaring Brook, 2012). The male narrator’s voice reflects the characters’ disappointment, hope, and joy when the much anticipated green finally and gloriously appears. An interview with the first time author reveals her Catskill Mountain inspiration and how she came to collaborate with Caldecott-winner Stead. Use to enrich units on spring, plants, or gardening.–Barbara Auerbach, P.S. 217, Brooklyn, NY
The Young Ancestors (Cinema Guild) explains how the Tewa Indian tribe ofNew Mexico is making an effort to retain its Native language and is the perfect choice for multicultural studies classes.
The Young Ancestors. DVD. 60 min. Cinema Guild. 2012, 2013 release. ISBN 0-7815-1435-5. $99.95.
Gr 9 Up–Indigenous languages are disappearing at an alarming rate, especially in the United States. Yet, “Language is our first form of identity.” In this factual account, the Tewa Indian tribe of New Mexico makes a concerted effort to retain its Native language with the help of the Indigenous Language Institute. Five high school students signed on to learn and use Tewa language to better connect with their culture, history, elders, Mother Nature, and themselves. Led by a Tewa speaker, the students devote time and energy to mastering a language that might otherwise be lost. Their successes are shared internationally with other indigenous youth pursuing a similar path in clever language skills-building presentations. But, why are some languages in jeopardy? Historical factors include Euro-Christian dominance, assimilation efforts, consumerism, and numerous federal policies. Radio celebrity Harlan McKosato adds his professional weight to the call for language retrieval as uppermost in tribal communities. An interactive computer language program from Australia called MIROMAA is featured, providing greater interest and impetus to the Tewa teens’ efforts. This film helps in educating viewers about the critical need for tribal languages to be rescued before it is too late, and will work well with multicultural studies classes.–Robin Levin, Fort Washakie School/Community Library, WY