Coyote and the Fire Stick
Coyote springs across these pages with cocked ears, a confident grin, and upturned tail. He is the spark to this story of fire as he moves through a snowy landscape between the people huddled in their cold tule mat lodges and the stony evil spirits guarding their precious fire. Enlisting the aid of mountain lion, deer, squirrel and frog, Coyote and his animal cohorts seem more alive than the people and Will positions them on the page with bright eyes and exuberant motion. The evil spirits are painted in cool colors with primitive lines and limbs angled without grace; they seem barely formed. In artwork that fully conveys the difficult life in this terrain and climate, Will portrays the deep snow, rocky hills, dense woods and deep waters that line the route along which the fire must be relayed. From the first page, the faces peering from the lodge await in hopeful expectation. In the end, they are not disappointed as Coyote retrieves the fire from the anthropomorphic tree and makes flame spark from its wood.
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In the mythology of the Pacific Northwest, people and animals share in one nature and often take on each other’s attributes. So in this tale by Barbara Diamond Goldin, it is not surprising to find people soliciting help from a coyote that evinces a cunning and arrogance that ring distinctly human.
 Starting From Sketch Inside the Picture Book of Will Hillenbrand
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Reviews
From Booklist , October 1, 1996 In this pourquoi tale, set in a time before humans had fire, coyote allows himself to be flattered into stealing fire from its guardians, three gnarled, gruesome, ghastly evil spirits. Along the way, coyote receives help from squirrel and frog, who are forever changed by the experience. The animals win, and coyote shows people how to make fire by rubbing sticks together. A strong read-aloud choice for younger children; older elementary-school students may want to compare this with other recent coyote or trickster tales. The author's note provides sources and additional information on coyote tales. The illustrator's note touches on his research regarding the Pacific Northwest Indians, who originally told this tale. There is a sense of respect toward readers, the story, and traditional telling here. Karen Morgan Copyright© 1996, American Library Association. All rights reserved
From Horn Book The plan works perfectly, except that Fire is swallowed by a tree at the end of the long chase. But crafty Coyote is equal to this challenge; he teaches his People to rub wood together to make sparks to start a fire. A well-told story with inventive oil and oil pastel illustrations of the sturdy People, the helpful animals, and the serio-comic evil spirits, green and bulbous. Accenting all are the sharp portraits of the scrawny yet supple trickster hero, prancing with admiration for himself. Good notes by reteller and illustrator are appended.
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