The First Strawberries Analysis

1- Bibliography

Bruchac, Joseph. The first strawberries: a Cherokee story. n.p.: Puffin Books, 1993. ISBN: 978-1-4420-0361-3

2- Plot Summary

This Cherokee folktale tells the story of the first man and woman on Earth. They were married and lived happily together for a long time. One day, they quarreled and the woman left. The man followed her to apologize, but the woman walked so fast that he could not catch her. It was then that, seeing his frustration, the Sun decided to help him. In an effort to slow her down, the Sun made different berries appear in front of the woman, but she paid not attention to them. It wasn't until she saw the strawberries that she decided to stop. The husband finally caught up with her and apologize.

From that day on, the strawberries remind the Cherokee people to be kind to each other.

3- Critical Review

The story explains the origins of the strawberries through the re-telling of a Cherokee folktale.

The plot of The first strawberries is simple and clear: a loving couple who separate after an argument is finally reconciled. Since the very beginning of the story, the reader feels empathy for the couple and participates in their happiness, anger, sadness, and reconciliation. The clean style maintains the outline of early retellings. There are not moral lessons to be learned, just a beautifully told story of love and forgiveness.

The illustrations occupy a great part of the book. They focus primarily on the characters' figures and the stunning landscape. The colors used by the artist are vibrant and exquisite, offering a vivid portrait of the natural world. The pictures are full of small details that add dimension to the story: water splashing in droplets, unembellished illustrations when the woman leaves, the kind face of the Sun, a snail on a rock, and the bright color of the strawberries, among others.

4- Review excerpts

Publishers Weekly: This legend explains the origins of strawberries, grown by the sun to help the first man and woman patch a quarrel. "Spare text, an uncomplicated story line and gentle illustrations keep this quiet but resonant tale accessible to even the youngest child," said

PW.

Kirkus Reviews: A gentle story of the Sun's healing of marital discord by a gift of ripe strawberries that magically grow at the feet of an angry woman as she flees her husband's harsh words, thus halting her departure long enough for him to catch up and make amends. Thereafter, the story concludes, whenever the Cherokee eat strawberries, they are reminded to be kind to one another. Quietly luminous watercolors capture details of dress, dwelling, implements, flora, and fauna against an open landscape of rolling hills. Small touches dramatize the story's moods: a bouquet of brown-eyed Susans flung to the ground in anger; an empty nest in a pine tree as the woman disappears behind the western hills; the glimmer of a single firefly as man and wife are reconciled. Complete harmony of text and pictures: altogether lovely.

Booklist review: "This Cherokee tale explains the origin of strawberries and reminds us 'that friendship and respect are as sweet as the taste of ripe, red berries.' Told simply and directly, the tale reads well. The artwork, combining watercolors with color pencils, celebrates the natural world simplified, softened, and sunlit. A delectable choice for reading aloud."

School Library Journal review: "This retelling (rather casually documented with a note saying only that Bruchac first heard it from a Cherokee friend) is simply and clearly written, and as sweet as the berries the woman stops to taste. The attractive watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations show an idealized pastoral world. Sometimes the writing is a bit more vivid than the artwork (the strawberries 'glowed like fire,' yet they appear on the page as a nice gentle red). Not especially dramatic or exciting, this story does have something to say about the glories of nature, and how insignificant by comparison petty human emotions can be."

5- Connections

*Gather other Joseph Bruchac books to read such as:
•Turkey Brother, and other tales: Iroquois folk stories. ISBN 0-912278-68-4
•The Earth Under Sky Bear's Foot. ISBN 0-399-22713-X
•Dragon Castle. ISBN 978-0-8037-3376-3

*Gather other Cherokee folktales such as:
•Kilpatrick, Jack. Friends of Thunder: Folktales of the Oklahoma Cherokees. ISBN: 978-0806127224
•Allen, Nancy Kelly. First Fire: a Cherokee Folktale. ISBN: 1628552077
•Teuton, Christopher B. Cherokee Stories of the Turtle Island Liars' Club. ISBN: 0807835846

*Use with a science unit on fruits and berries.