How Chipmunk Got His Stripes by Joseph Bruchac and James Bruchac

1. Bibliography:

Bruchac, Joseph and James Bruchac. 2001. How Chipmunk Got His Stripes. New York, NY: Puffin Books. ISBN 0142500216

2. Plot Summary:

Bear believes he is the best at everything, claiming “I can do anything. Yes I can!” When little Brown Squirrel asks Bear to prove it by keeping the sun from rising the next day, Bear and Brown Squirrel both stay up through the night. As Bear chants that the sun will not come up and Brown Squirrel counters with “the sun is going to rise”, the other forest animals gather to see who is right. When the sun does indeed rise, Brown Squirrel forgets his grandmother’s warning never to brag and upsets Bear. WHOMP! Bear traps Brown Squirrel under his paw, threatening to eat him for calling him names. Squirrel plans an escape and succeeds, but not before Bear scratches him from head to toe, leaving stripes down Brown Squirrel’s back. With his permanent stripes, Brown Squirrel becomes Chipmunk, the striped one.

3. Critical Analysis:

Joseph Bruchac and James Bruchac tell their version of this tale, combining versions heard from many Native American storytellers. The characters are representative of children, still learning that bragging and teasing are not acceptable social interactions. The simple storyline helps readers of all ages understand the feelings of both Bear and Brown Squirrel. The strong moral lesson learned by the squirrel is apparent to even the youngest of audiences.

The tone of the story mimics an oral storytelling, giving the reader background information that the characters do not have, such as “It was the time when the sun always goes down.”

The setting is implied with references to autumn, but receives help from the illustrations of Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey. The expressions of each character lend human qualities to each animal. Overall, the illustrations tell a story all their own.

4. Awards and/or Review Excerpts:

· From Publisher’s Weekly: “the dialogue is effective and invites audience participation--especially the repeated phrases with sound effects, as when the quarrelsome pair sit side by side all night chanting: "The sun will not come up, hummph!" and "The sun is going to rise, oooh!"”

· From SLJ: “In their introductory authors' notes, the Bruchacs indicate that the story is an amalgam of tales they have heard from Cherokee, Abenaki, and Mohawk sources, and has further been fleshed out through their own telling over the years. The result is polished, cohesive, and energetic”

5. Connections:

· Have students share times when they have bragged or someone has bragged to them. Discuss how this made them feel in both scenarios.

· With older grades, a discussion of the characters would be appropriate. Was there really a good character and a bad character?

· Connect to other stories of bragging or teasing. The book Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal or any others in that series are wonderful for teaching children about respect and kindness.

6. Personal Response:

· I really enjoyed this story. I read it aloud to my daughter and used a BIG booming voice for Bear and a small, squeaking voice for Brown Squirrel. She found that hilarious. I think I tend to enjoy the books more when the audience I am reading to enjoys it as well. The lesson was obvious and the story was short enough for the point to come across without getting lost in the text.