Doctor Coyote: A Native American Aesop's Fables

by John Bierhorst, Wendy Watson (Illustrator)

Coyote is featured in each of these Aztec interpretations of Aesop's fables. The illustrations are set in the twentieth century.

Genres: Native American, Picture Books, Fables, Animals, Cultural

46 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

John Bierhorst is the author, editor, or translator of more than thirty books on Native American lore, including Latin American Folktales, The Mythology of South America, The Mythology of North America, and The Mythology of Mexico and Central America.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

I confess that I was rather leery, after seeing the sub-title of this book, both as an Aesop enthusiast, and as someone aware of the many ways in which Native American folklore has been expropriated and distorted. "A Native American Aesop?" I thought, "what sort of revisionist conflation is this?" How glad I am that I gave Doctor Coyote a chance, as I learned something new (and exciting!), and got to read some entertaining stories!

It turns out that the conflation of Aesopic fable and Coyote trickster-tale wasn't Bierhorst's idea at all, but that of a sixteenth-century native Mexican translator (name unknown), who adapted a Spanish edition of Aesop, producing an Aztec (Nahuatl) version. This distinctive collection of fables - in which animals native to the Americas, like the coyote and puma, are used in the stories - can currently be found, in manuscript form, in the National Library of Mexico. Astonishingly, it has apparently never been translated into any modern language, making Bierhorst's book the only easily obtainable (and sadly incomplete) edition of it available to readers!

These twenty tales feature the trickster Coyote, who, through a series of painful episodes (each with a separate moral), begins to learn about the consequences of his actions. Many of the selections were quite humorous, and I enjoyed reading them. Unfortunately, although I was thrilled to discover this hitherto unknown Aztec branch of the Aesopic tree, and found Bierhorst's text itself engaging, the illustrations by Wendy Watson were less appealing. Somehow, her modern-day Coyote just didn't match the tales - perhaps because I was hoping for something a little more "Aztec" in style?

Whatever the case may be, anyone interested in the transmission of folklore should seek out this selection, and then... Demand a complete translation! I know I want to read one!

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A retelling of twenty Aztec fable-stories featuring Coyote and Puma, two of the best known animal tricksters in Native American folklore. Each fable shows Coyote growing a little wiser with each new adventure.

[Morgan Kusler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doctor Coyote: A Native American Aesop’s Fables is a collection of small stories centered around the character of Coyote. Each story ends in an important moral related to the events on the page, stemming from Aesop’s fables and having been altered by Native American groups after receiving the original at some point from European colonizers. The stories are fables, as each one teaches the reader a short lesson and concludes with a clearly stated moral. In Doctor Coyote specifically, Coyote acts as a kind of trickster in the stories, often getting himself into trouble through his vices, or getting himself out of trouble through deception.
A concern for parents and teachers while going over Doctor Coyote may be violent and frightening parts sprinkled throughout the stories. While nothing is too gruesome, some story beats may be scary especially to young children. Several times throughout the stories, Coyote ends up hurting another animal to get himself out of a situation. For example he leaves a goat to die in a well after he has escaped, and convinces Puma to skin Wolf alive to save himself from being reprimanded. Violence outside of these kinds of events comes from multiple fights between animals throughout the story. While these are not deal breakers for the book being relevant to older students, they could be frightening to younger students and therefore may not be suitable for them.
Because of the age barrier, I would be wary of using Doctor Coyote in a classroom for younger students, so as to not step on the toes of parents who don’t want their kids exposed to risky media, and especially to not give more sensitive kids nightmares. If the book were to be used in a classroom for older students, it could be used as an introduction to the concept of a moral in a story as they are clearly stated in the style of a fable, before moving on to more complex morals students need to use critical thinking to gather from the story.

[Jen Halupnik]

Native American
Lexile Level: 630L
Grade Level: K-3

[Miss Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The authors note at the end was very interesting. I love the idea of ancient stories from one side of the world traveling and being just as relevant to people on the other side of the world. Story adaptation is great.

The collection format is a little disjointed for me at the beginning. I don't know if it improves, or if I just got used to it, but the ending smooths out a bit. The transitions from story to story are a bit jarring and abrupt, with little to no segue.

THe pictures are cute, and fans of Richard Scarry will be pleased with Wendy Watsons illustrations, which put me in the mind of Busytown.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Bierhorst translated this collection of Aztec Indian tales into English. In each story, Coyote, a trickster in Indian lore, is the main character. Each fable is illustrated in full color by Wendy Watson, who accurately captures the flavor and feel of the desert southwest--the sand, cactus, mountains, adobe buildings, and clothing trypical of New Mexican Indians. Some of the illustrations are drawn in strips representing sequential actions, while others fill a whole page. This book should be of interest to everyone who loves southwest culture.

[Hannah Joyce]

Grade level 3-5. It is Aesop's Fables retold in the setting of the 20th century.

[Audrey Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

MULTICULTURAL BOOK
This would be great to use in a classroom. Each fable can be separated and read individually. Would be fun to read one or two a day and ask the students what they think the moral is. Cute illustrations!