The Otter, the Spotted Frog & the Great Flood

Starred review from October 21, 2013
In this Creek flood story, the world is populated by “animal people”; the Noah figure is a river otter, eloquently named Listener, and the flood prophecy—as well as instructions for building a watertight raft, anchored to “the tallest water oak in the woods”—comes in the form of a song from bright-green Spotted Frog. In beautifully direct prose, Hausman evokes Listener’s diligence and the watery cataclysm he survives: “Far below the gloom, fish flew like silent birds through the sunken trees. Alligators and manatees swam through the silence of the deepening flood.” The story’s second half, in which a lonely but patient Listener struggles to find companionship (he is eventually rewarded with both a mate and transformation into a human being) may test some younger readers’ patience, but Shiloh’s (Star Stories for Little Dreamers) illustrations, which have a hand-painted quality, should hold their attention. The pictures are woven into the story and range from folk art–like motifs to strikingly realistic portraiture, creating a sense of a Native American illuminated manuscript. Ages 4–8.

December 1, 2013

K-Gr 3-Long ago, only two animal people lived-Listener, a river otter, and Honors Himself, a buffalo chief. One day a spotted frog offers a prophecy: "A great flood is coming. Soon it will cover the land. I sing so you can save yourselves." Honors Himself refuses to believe its words, but Listener urges the frog to tell him more. The frog instructs Listener how to save himself, for no one else would heed the prophecy. When the rains come and cover the land, the only survivors are Listener, the sea creatures, and the birds. After the water recedes, Listener is alone. Spotted frog returns and says he will not be alone for long. Indeed, Listener soon finds a wife who appears to him in the form of a mosquito and then a fish. Finally, the otter's wife is transformed into a two-legged creature, as is Listener, and they become the First Man and his wife. This creation tale hails from the Creek Indians, who traded with Scottish settlers, who obviously told stories from the Old Testament. The blended tale has many versions within the storytelling community and relies on the Creeks' belief of man's rise from the water. Shiloh's ink and colored-pencil illustrations provide bold, yet detailed images of the creatures that inhabit Mother Earth as well as fantastical renderings of a new world that listens to and respects her. This would make a fine addition to a unit on creation myths or Native American tales.-Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools, OH

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