Native American Children's Literature

Text: Steptoe, J. (1972). The story of jumping mouse. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, Inc.

Synopsis: Jumping Mouse is led by an unfailing hope of seeing the far-off land. His compassionate and unselfish spirit brings him hardship, but he is rewarded with a name that allows him to live in the land of his dreams forever.

Awards: Caldecott Honor Book

Author Information: John Steptoe was born in Brooklyn. From early childhood, he drew pictures and told stories with them. He started work on Stevie, his first picture book, when he was sixteen, and Stevie was published three years later to outstanding critical acclaim. Since then, he has written and illustrated many successful books for children.

John Lewis Steptoe, creator of award-winning picture books for children, was born in Brooklyn on September 14, 1950 and was raised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of that borough. He began drawing as a young child and received his formal art training at the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan. He was a student in the HARYOU-ACT Art Program and instructed by the highly recognized African American oil painter, Norman Lewis. He also studied at the Vermont Academy, where he was instructed by the sculptor, John Torres, and William Majors, a painter acclaimed by the Museum of Modem Art for his etchings and print-making.

Genre: Legend

Interest Level: 3-5

Reading Level: Fourth grade