Two Bad Boys: A Very Old Cherokee Tale

by Gail E. Haley

When Boy, a lonely child, comes across a child in the wood who calls himself Wild Boy and who tells him that he is Boy's long-lost brother, Boy brings him home where, soon after, Boy's parents discover that Wild Boy is uncontrollable and a very bad influence on their son.

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1996

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

The winning of knowledge and the consequences thereof form the basis of this traditional Cherokee folktale, retold and illustrated by Caldecot Medal-winning picture book creator Gail E. Haley. In the beginning, the First Hunter, the Corn Mother and their son Boy enjoyed a peaceful life together. Then Boy met Wild Boy at a local spring, and the two became inseparable. Although taken into the family, Wild Boy could not be tamed, and he led Boy into many scrapes. When their curiosity leads them to discover the source of First Hunter's meat (a rock-covered cave) and Corn Mother's grain (a magical hut), both of these blessings are taken away, and their parents depart. Now the boys, and all of their descendants, must hunt for game, and work in the field to raise crops...

Published in 1996, Two Bad Boys: A Very Old Cherokee Tale is the fifth picture book I have read from Haley, following upon A Story, A Story: An African Tale , which won the 1971 Caldecott Medal, as well as Jack and the Fire Dragon (1988) Sea Tale (1990) and Puss in Boots (1991). Although different from the biblical story of the Garden of Eden in many respects, it also shares elements of that story, most notably, the way the winning of forbidden knowledge widens the distance between humans and the divine (First Hunter and Corn Mother must depart, to live in the Western Land of the Darkening Sun), and forces humanity to work very hard indeed to sustain itself. In short, it is the expulsion from paradise, from the Cherokee perspective. I enjoyed the story, and I appreciated Haley's illustrations, done in tinted gesso meant to simulate parchment. The decorative borders here were a very nice touch! I also appreciated the note at the beginning regarding source—this tale was first recorded by the 19th-century Cherokee medicine man and storyteller, Swimmer—and the cultural research Haley did. Recommended to young folklore lovers, particularly those looking for Cherokee stories.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pfffft. Boys.