Elan, whose name meant "oak tree" in Hebrew and 'friendly' in Keres, was the son of a Jewish father and an Acoma Pueblo mother. In 1898, the year he turned thirteen, Elan celebrated his Bar Mitzvah in San Francisco, and then traveled with his parents to New Mexico, where he also participated in the traditional ceremony and Eagle Dance whereby young men became Acoma tribesmen. As his mother told him, he was the son of two proud nations, whose roots were like the oak...

Author Heidi Smith Hyde continues to impress in Elan, Son of Two Peoples, which is the fifth picture-book I have read from her. The narrative here is engaging, and the afterword gives more information about the true story which inspired the book. Apparently the character of Elan was a real person (it's not clear from the afterword if this was his actual name), the son of an Eastern European Jew named Solomon Bibo, who settled in New Mexico, became fluent in Keres, and married the granddaughter of an Acoma Pueblo chief. Although Bibo's wife converted to Judaism (as far as we know), and their children were raised Jewish, their eldest son did participate in the traditional Pueblo rites of passage. This fascinating background makes the story here all the more enjoyable, although I wish Hyde had given her sources, as I would love to learn more about Bibo, who was at one time a Pueblo governor, and who (according to the afterword) fought for Pueblo land rights. Leaving that aside, I thought this was an enjoyable tale in its own right, of a child with two great cultural heritages. The accompanying artwork from illustrator Mikela Prevost was just lovely, capturing the beauty of the world around Elan. I particularly liked the scene in which he dances in the Eagle Dance, as well as the one showing him on the train with his mother. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories with a Jewish and/or Pueblo cultural background, or for tales about children with mixed cultural heritage. ( )

Acoma Pueblo life and Jewish traditions - historical basis given at end of book. ( )