Coyote in Love

Book excerpt: In many Native American stories of creation, Coyote proudly takes his place as the ultimate trickster, the mischievous hero whose lessons may even include painful lessons for the unwary. Mindy Dwyer's retelling of a Northwest coyote legend allows readers young and old to meet that same colorful and wily creature, but this time made vulnerable himself by love. Coyote in Love is a tale of love and the way things came to be. Children will be entranced as they hear of the antics of Coyote as he sings to the heavens in pursuit of the love of a star. They'll also learn from the Old Ones how a lake with never-ending depth and the bluest waters of Oregon's Crate Lake was formed by a flood of tears from heartbroken Coyote. This appealing legend is matched by the bright, whimsical watercolor images of Coyote.