Horn Book Guide 3/1/1995

Fiction: PB Richly textured oil paintings in glowing earth tones illustrate the story of Sosi, an Anasazi girl, whose family is threatened by a drought. With crops failing, food supplies scarce, and family life tense, Sosi fashions a new, more pleasant family out of mud. When rain dances are unsuccessful, her real family must find a new home, but Sosi and her mud family make the rains come just in time. Horn Rating: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration. Reviewed by: kaa

Personal Review:

The lack of rain to the area affects not only Sosi's family's water and food supply, but also creates tension in the home. Her mother and father are worried and have little time for Sosi. She creates a new 'mud' family and spends time with them and tells them, 'I will weave robes for you and never scold.' When her father and uncle perform a ceremonial dance for rain, they tell Sosi that she is too little to dance. Sosi runs away to her mud family and does her own rain dance the night before they are to leave for a new home. The dance is successful and rain replenishes the earth. Sosi escapes a desert flash flood and makes amends with her family. The family is intact once again and can stay in their home. The illustrations clearly convey the harsh desert climate and show a typical Anasazi Indian setting. The picture book tells of a child's timeless dilemma, an ungrateful family and how to cope with it. ( )