Red Bird sings : the story of Zitkala-Sa, Native American author, musician, and activist

Like Montezuma (A Boy Named Beckoning), Zitkala-Sa is an important figure in Native American history about whom nothing has been written for children.This is a picture book biography of Zitkala-Sa, born Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, a Native American woman at the turn of the nineteenth century. Zitkala-Sa was a writer, editor, musician, teacher, and political activist in a time when even basic education was uncommon among Native Americans.

Reviews (4)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 3-6-This picture-book biography of Zitkala-Sa, a young Sioux girl born in 1876 in South Dakota, adapts and paraphrases some of her own autobiographical writings to trace her life from youth to adulthood. Born Gertrude Simmons, she was sent to an Indian boarding school in Indiana when she was eight, and it was through this education that she discovered a love and talent for music, writing, and public speaking, among other things. Her journey took her ever farther east, from college in Indiana to teaching in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, to finally fighting for Native American civil rights in Washington, DC, in the early 1920s. Each spread shares moments from her life as she struggled to survive in two very different worlds: the familiar Sioux reservation and the Anglo world that was opened up to her. While the text is modified for clarity for young audiences, it is still lyrical and compelling, drawing readers into the woman's life and work. The accompanying paintings are textured and sometimes layered with maps, pictures, and magazine pages that provide a rich complement to the story, conveying both emotion and depth. This unique format brings Zitkala-Sa's intriguing story to life, and engenders further exploration. Extensive back matter includes suggested readings, useful websites, and a bit more detail about Zitkala-Sa.-Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

Capaldi and Pearce document the life of Gertrude Simmons, an author, musician, and activist best known by her pen name, Zitkala-Sa (Red Bird). Drawing from semiautobiographical stories that Zitkala-Sa wrote for the Atlantic Monthly in the early 1900s, Capaldi and Pearce eloquently describe her experience at a Quaker boarding school, where she laments the loss of her culture, but also develops passions for violin and women's suffrage. Reconciling her new identity with her roots, she writes and stages "The Sun Dance Opera" and advocates for Native American rights. Capaldi's understated illustrations integrate solid colors and doll-like characterizations with reproductions of period materials, while appended information on Sitkala-Sa rounds out this fascinating portrait. Ages 8-12. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Review

Zitkala-a, whose name means Red Bird, also known as Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, was Yankton Sioux, a musician, writer, composer and activist who was born in the year of Little Bighorn.Capaldi and Pearce have taken three of the stories Zitkala-a wrote for theAtlantic Monthly, presumed to be autobiographical, and retold them with additional material. While the language has been somewhat modernized, it still sounds quite stilted and overwrought to contemporary ears, although it is very much in the heightened style of the time. The stories are powerful: having her long, thick hair cut short at White's Manual Labor Institute in Wabash, Ind.; winning oratory contests at Earlham College while facing a huge banner with the word "Squaw" on it; teaching at Carlisle Indian School and playing the violin before President McKinley; writing the Sun Dance opera (the first Native American to write an opera and have it staged); working in Washington D.C. for the National Council of American Indians. The illustrations use collages of newspaper clippings, railroad tickets,Atlantic Monthlylogos and other archival materials over the loosely drawn, textured images. An afterword, source note and selected bibliographies are included, but the use of the first person may give scholarly pause, especially for young readers, who may not wish to pursue the various bibliographical sources.An important figure of myriad talents, Zitkala-a and her life and works are brought to needed attention here, but it's too bad the treatment isn't a bit clearer.(Fictionalized biography. 8-12)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

This picture book about Native American musician, author, and activist Zitkala-'a is adapted from three semiautobiographical stories written for the Atlantic Monthly in the early 1900s. Born Gertrude Simmons on the Yankton Sioux reservation in South Dakota, Zitkala-'a chose as a young child to accompany missionaries who were headed east in order to study. Although stranded between two worlds, Simmons relished the opportunities her education afforded her. She blossomed as a musician and was a talented public speaker who used her gifts as tools that supported her greater goal, which was nothing less than civil liberties for Native Americans. Occasionally the narrative emphasizes straightforward accomplishments over more telling personal moments; readers are not told how Gertrude Simmons acquired the name Zitkala-'a, for example. Still, Zitkala-'a's story is inherently compelling, and Capaldi's beautiful mixed-media illustrations enhance the themes of grace and strength. Closing with final notes, a bibliography, and suggestions for further reading, this is a competent introduction to an extraordinary woman who is rarely covered in books for youth.--Dean, Kara Copyright 2010 Booklist

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