Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back

A Native American Year of Moons

Illustrated by Thomas Locker
Look inside
Paperback
$8.99 US
| $12.49 CAN
On sale Aug 25, 1997 | 32 Pages | 9780698115842
Age 4-8 years | Preschool - 3
"Unusual and intelligent...An exemplary introduction to Native American culture with its emphasis on the importance of nature." —Publishers Weekly

In Native American legend, the thirteen scales on Old Turtle's back hold the key to the thirteen cycles of the moon and the changing seasons. These lyrical poems and striking paintings celebrate the wonder of the seasons, from the Northern Cheyenne's Moon of the Popping Trees to the Big Moon of the Abenaki.

"This book instills a spiritual respect for our land and an appreciation for the people who were its first caring guardians." —American Bookseller

A Notable Children's Trade Book in the Language Arts
An IRA Teacher's Choice Book
A Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies 
Joseph Bruchac is a highly acclaimed children’s book author, poet, novelist, and storyteller, as well as a scholar of Native American culture. He is the coauthor of the bestselling Keepers of the Earth series with Michael Caduto. Bruchac's poems, articles, and stories have appeared in hundreds of publications from Akwesasne Notes and American Poetry Review to National Geographic and Parabola. He has authored many books for adults and children including Code Talker: A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two, Skeleton Man, and The Heart of a Chief. View titles by Joseph Bruchac
© Robert Engel
Jonathan London is the creator of more than 20 books about the lovable and enduringly popular character Froggy.  He is also a poet and a novelist. He burst on the children's book scene in 1992 with the publication of three picture books. Since then he has published over 100 picture books, including the Froggy series and the young adult novel Where's Home? Jonathan London started writing poetry in his late teens. Although he received a Masters Degree in Social Sciences and never formally studied literature or creative writing, he began to consider himself a "writer" about the time he graduated from college. After college, he became a dancer in a modern dance company and worked at numerous low-paying jobs as a laborer or counselor. However, during this 20-year period, London continued to write. He wrote poems and short stories for adults, earning next to nothing despite being published in many literary magazines. "It wasn't until I had kids of my own that I became a writer for children," he explains. "It all started with telling them stories when they were very young. I wrote down one of these stories, and it became The Owl Who Became the Moon, my first picture book sale (though it was my fourth to appear in print). Now I am finally making a living as a writer. A dream come true!" Born a "Navy brat" in Brooklyn, New York, London was raised on naval stations throughout the US and Puerto Rico. Today he lives with his wife, Maureen, and their two sons, Aaron and Sean, in rural Northern California, where they like to backpack in the summer, play in the snow in winter, and dance all year around. View titles by Jonathan London
Thomas Locker has written and illustrated many award-winning books for children, including the companion titles Water Dance and Mountain Dance. He lives in Stuyvesant, New York. View titles by Thomas Locker

About

"Unusual and intelligent...An exemplary introduction to Native American culture with its emphasis on the importance of nature." —Publishers Weekly

In Native American legend, the thirteen scales on Old Turtle's back hold the key to the thirteen cycles of the moon and the changing seasons. These lyrical poems and striking paintings celebrate the wonder of the seasons, from the Northern Cheyenne's Moon of the Popping Trees to the Big Moon of the Abenaki.

"This book instills a spiritual respect for our land and an appreciation for the people who were its first caring guardians." —American Bookseller

A Notable Children's Trade Book in the Language Arts
An IRA Teacher's Choice Book
A Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies 

Author

Joseph Bruchac is a highly acclaimed children’s book author, poet, novelist, and storyteller, as well as a scholar of Native American culture. He is the coauthor of the bestselling Keepers of the Earth series with Michael Caduto. Bruchac's poems, articles, and stories have appeared in hundreds of publications from Akwesasne Notes and American Poetry Review to National Geographic and Parabola. He has authored many books for adults and children including Code Talker: A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two, Skeleton Man, and The Heart of a Chief. View titles by Joseph Bruchac
© Robert Engel
Jonathan London is the creator of more than 20 books about the lovable and enduringly popular character Froggy.  He is also a poet and a novelist. He burst on the children's book scene in 1992 with the publication of three picture books. Since then he has published over 100 picture books, including the Froggy series and the young adult novel Where's Home? Jonathan London started writing poetry in his late teens. Although he received a Masters Degree in Social Sciences and never formally studied literature or creative writing, he began to consider himself a "writer" about the time he graduated from college. After college, he became a dancer in a modern dance company and worked at numerous low-paying jobs as a laborer or counselor. However, during this 20-year period, London continued to write. He wrote poems and short stories for adults, earning next to nothing despite being published in many literary magazines. "It wasn't until I had kids of my own that I became a writer for children," he explains. "It all started with telling them stories when they were very young. I wrote down one of these stories, and it became The Owl Who Became the Moon, my first picture book sale (though it was my fourth to appear in print). Now I am finally making a living as a writer. A dream come true!" Born a "Navy brat" in Brooklyn, New York, London was raised on naval stations throughout the US and Puerto Rico. Today he lives with his wife, Maureen, and their two sons, Aaron and Sean, in rural Northern California, where they like to backpack in the summer, play in the snow in winter, and dance all year around. View titles by Jonathan London
Thomas Locker has written and illustrated many award-winning books for children, including the companion titles Water Dance and Mountain Dance. He lives in Stuyvesant, New York. View titles by Thomas Locker