Library Binding ©2016 | -- |
United States. Marine Corps. Indian troops. Juvenile literature.
United States. Marine Corps. Indian troops.
World War, 1939-1945. Cryptography. Juvenile literature.
World War, 1939-1945. Participation, Indian. Juvenile literature.
Navajo language. Juvenile literature.
Navajo code talkers. Juvenile literature.
Navajo Indians. History. 20th century. Juvenile literature.
World War, 1939-1945. Cryptography.
World War, 1939-1945. Participation, Indian.
Navajo language.
Navajo code talkers.
Navajo Indians. History. 20th century.
Lewis and Kelley offer a third entry in their World War series, following And the Soldiers Sang and Harlem Hellfighters, this time focusing on the Navajo soldiers who served as code talkers in WWII. Initial pages recount the tribe's troubled history with the U.S. government, and a procession of defeated Navajo men, women, and children wends across the bottom of consecutive spreads to show the tribe's forced march to a reservation. Kelley's pastels, housed within individual panels for a graphic novel-like effect, use drab hues and dark, angular outlines to evoke a somber mood. The artwork also depicts realistic images of war: battle scenes include sword combat and a skull peering out from under an army helmet. Amid the fighting, code talkers use their native language to send and receive top-secret communications ("Apart from its beauty, the Navajo tongue is unique, enormously difficult, and unwritten.... the ultimate unbreakable wartime code"). It's a fine introduction to the ways that indigenous peoples aided the war effort, which doesn't sugarcoat the injustices they suffered, including the "depravity" of the Long Walk that removed the Navajo from their home. Ages 7-9. (Aug.)
School Library Journal (Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)Gr 5 Up-In this follow-up to Lewis and Kelley's And the Soldiers Sang and Harlem Hellfighters , readers are introduced to the Navajo code talkers of World War II. Lewis's lyrical, enlightening text offers a broad outline of historical events, while Kelley's evocative illustrations add emotional weight to the narrative. Beginning with the traumatic Long Walk of the 1860s, when the U.S. government ordered the forced removal of the Navajo from their homeland, Lewis goes on to mention the boarding schools that banned the use of the Navajo language, and emphasizes the irony of the U.S. government relying on that same language for military advantage during World War II. Kelley's atmospheric pastel panels capture the landscape of the Navajo homeland in bright, sandy oranges and browns, while military scenes appear in a contrasting dull gray. Back matter citing the National Museum of the American Indian includes more detailed information on the historical events of World War II involving the code talkers, and a brief bibliography is also appended. However, no sources are provided for any of the material presented, including direct quotes from those involved and an artist's note that refers generally to the incorporation of "ceremonial" and "traditional" Navajo blanket designs. A few problematic textual choices, such as referring to the Navajo in the past tense when describing how they "called themselves Din&3;" and stating that, in 1940, "the 20th century had yet to catch up with the desert dwelling Navajo," unfortunately reinforce stereotypes of Native Americans as people of the past rather than the present. The striking illustrations will capture the attention of readers, but educators should be prepared to provide additional context and discussion. VERDICT Acceptable as an introduction to the subject, but best paired with supplemental resources. Chelsea Couillard-Smith, Hennepin County Library, MN
ALA Booklist (Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)The third slender, large-format volume in Lewis and Kelley's World War cycle, which includes And the Soldiers Sang (2011) and Harlem Hellfighters (2014), this book features the Navajo code talkers. First, it fills in some background information about the Navajo and their history, particularly the brutal, tragic Long Walk, when the U.S. government forced them to leave their tribal land during the 1860s. Eighty years later, Navajo soldiers made significant contributions to the nation as code talkers, using their unwritten language as the basis of coded messages that helped bring about the end of WWII. The text condenses a great deal of information and presents it with well-chosen details. On every page, readers will find themselves riveted by Kelley's powerful artwork. Created with pastels, these impressive images include strong portrayals of individuals, moving depictions of the Long Walk, and iconic images of Navajo words used in the "talking code" to represent concepts (battleship, tank) outside their traditional language. A handsome, visually dynamic book.
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
Kirkus Reviews
School Library Journal (Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)
ALA Booklist (Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Amidst a complicated history of mistreatment by and distrust of the American government, the Navajo people—especially bilingual code talkers—helped the Allies win World War II.