Pushing up the Sky: Seven Native American Plays for Children

By Joseph Bruchac

Book Overview

From acclaimed Native American storyteller Joseph Bruchac comes a collection of seven lively plays for children to perform, each one adapted from a different traditional Native tale. Filled with heroes and tricksters, comedy and drama, these entertaining plays are a wonderful way to bring Native cultures to life for young people. Each play has multiple parts that can be adjusted to suit the size of a particular group and includes simple, informative suggestions for props, scenery, and costumes that children can help to create. Introductory notes and beautiful, detailed illustrations add to young readers' understanding of the seven Native nations whose traditions have inspired the plays.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0803721684
• ISBN13: 9780803721685
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Dial Books
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 1.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.3" x 10.3"
• Age Range: 6 to 9 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 4

Customer Reviews

Children will be Enchanted

"Pushing Up the Sky" is a collection of seven plays for children that are created from the myths and stories of seven different American Indian tribes. The plays are easy to produce and will hold children, as well as adult audiences, spellbound. The illustrations by Teresa Flavin are delightful and beautifully intricate. My favorite story in the collection is about two sisters who marry two stars in the sky. There is also an adorable story about an inquisitive ant who asks all the animals to tell him who is the strongest. The American Indian flavor of these plays are evident, and will add a unique spin on typical children's theatre. Some plays even include American Indian language, phonetically spelled out for the young actors. This book of plays is a gem for directors of children's theatre. I suggest anyone that works with elementary level children, or is interested in American Indian mythology, to go out and get this book today.

Outstanding Book

This book is an outstanding work by Joseph Bruchac (Abenaki) for all theatre professionals as well as K-12 teachers. I strongly recommend that it be part of every school library collection.