Rock 'n 'Roll Hall of Fame inductee Robbie Robertson (guitarist & songwriter for The Band) made his second foray into children's book authorship with this legend from the Iroquois nation. This is not the Longfellow "Hiawatha" redone. Robertson, who is of Cayuga and Mohawk heritage, tells the story he learned as a child from an elder on the Six Nations Grand River Reservation. Up to the 1500s the Iroquois people spent much time in inter-tribal warfare before they joined together to form a confederation. This tale tells how Hiawatha overcame his sorrow at the death of his wife and children to aid the mysterious "Peacemaker" in putting an end to the wars between the tribes. David Shannon's (No, David! & A Bad Case of Stripes) artwork is colorful and dramatic and brings life to the story. Included with the book is a cd of the original song about the Peacemaker written and performed by Robertson.
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