Touching the Distance: Native American Riddle-Poems

by Brian Swann, Maria Rendon (Illustrator)

A riddle is a question with a surprising answer. A poem is an unexpected view of the world around us. Combine the two, and you have this collection of twenty-two riddle-poems gathered from Native American sources by Brian Swann, a preeminent scholar, poet, and collector of riddles from around the globe. With stunning illustrations, this remarkable book encourages all to see the world anew.

Genres: Poetry

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1998

About the author

Brian Swann was born in Tyneside, England. He received a BA and an MA from Queens’ College, Cambridge, as well as a PhD from Princeton University.

Swann teaches at the Cooper Union and lives in New York City.

Reviews

[528_Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Touching the Distance is a compilation of 14 poems and riddles representative of various tribes throughout Mexico, Alaska, and Omaha. The distinctively placed lettering and colorful illustrations makes these riddles engaging and appealing to the eye. Young readers would enjoy trying to figure out the answer to each riddle indicated at the end of the text. I think the multi-media illustrations are one of the strengths of this book. Illustrator, Maia Rendon uses paint, wood carving, etching, stone, and other media to coincide with each poem. This book would be a good supplement for a unit on Native Americans. Students would get a feel for the cultural subjects and art types represented in these tribes. Touching the Distance does not offer enough biographical information about the Native American culture to be used in isolation.

[HeatherREADS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Each set of pages features a line of riddle poem and an illustration reflecting the imagery the poem evokes. Poems were fun and thought provoking. Would be a good rainy day Book to sit down and middle through. Answers are in the back along with a note about who gets credit for the riddle poem. I really enjoyed this book

[Ch_wesley Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Touching the Distance: Native American Riddle- Poems is a compilation of poems from various Native American writers. The poems are connected to facsinating illustations that conceals a riddle. The answer to the riddles can be found at the back of the book.

[Cya]

Book of riddles with great pictures. Students can use pictures to infer the answers to the riddles. Good for teaching simple riddles and looking for clues in book illustrations.

[Ray]

Interesting and thought provoking!