What do you think?
Rate this book
Coyote Tales
Two tales, set in a time “when animals and human beings still talked to each other,” display Thomas King’s cheeky humor and master storytelling skills. Freshly illustrated and reissued as an early chapter book, these stories are perfect for newly independent readers.
In Coyote Sings to the Moon, Coyote is at first the cause of misfortune. In those days, when the moon was much brighter and closer to the earth, Old Woman and the animals would sing to her each night. Coyote attempts to join them, but his voice is so terrible they beg him to stop. He is crushed and lashes out — who needs Moon anyway? Furious, Moon dives into a pond, plunging the world into darkness. But clever Old Woman comes up with a plan to send Moon back up into the sky and, thanks to Coyote, there she stays.
In Coyote’s New Suit, mischievous Raven wreaks havoc when she suggests that Coyote’s toasty brown suit is not the finest in the forest, thus prompting him to steal suits belonging to all the other animals. Meanwhile, Raven tells the other animals to borrow clothes from the humans’ camp. When Coyote finds that his closet is too full, Raven slyly suggests he hold a yard sale, then sends the human beings (in their underwear) and the animals (in their ill-fitting human clothes) along for the fun. A hilarious illustration of the consequences of wanting more than we need.
In Coyote Sings to the Moon, Coyote is at first the cause of misfortune. In those days, when the moon was much brighter and closer to the earth, Old Woman and the animals would sing to her each night. Coyote attempts to join them, but his voice is so terrible they beg him to stop. He is crushed and lashes out — who needs Moon anyway? Furious, Moon dives into a pond, plunging the world into darkness. But clever Old Woman comes up with a plan to send Moon back up into the sky and, thanks to Coyote, there she stays.
In Coyote’s New Suit, mischievous Raven wreaks havoc when she suggests that Coyote’s toasty brown suit is not the finest in the forest, thus prompting him to steal suits belonging to all the other animals. Meanwhile, Raven tells the other animals to borrow clothes from the humans’ camp. When Coyote finds that his closet is too full, Raven slyly suggests he hold a yard sale, then sends the human beings (in their underwear) and the animals (in their ill-fitting human clothes) along for the fun. A hilarious illustration of the consequences of wanting more than we need.
60 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2017
18 people are currently reading
1218 people want to read
About the author
Thomas King
104 books1,286 followersThomas King was born in 1943 in Sacramento, California and is of Greek and German descent. He obtained his PhD from the University of Utah in 1986. He is known for works in which he addresses the marginalization of American Indians, delineates "pan-Indian" concerns and histories, and attempts to abolish common stereotypes about Native Americans. He taught Native American Studies at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, and at the University of Minnesota. He is currently a Professor of English at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. King has become one of the foremost writers of fiction about Canada's Native people.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
February 18, 2024
Widen your worldview with heartfelt anthropomorphic storytelling for all ages! Thomas King is a Canada-based author of Cherokee, Greek, and Swiss German heritage.
My blog post of more writing by this author:
https://lplks.org/blogs/post/gratitud...
My blog post of more writing by this author:
https://lplks.org/blogs/post/gratitud...
November 3, 2017
The older I get the more I like tricksters. I can’t think why that might be. By rights tricksters fall into the strict purview of children. Think of Bugs Bunny and Pippi Longstocking and R2-D2. I could make a case for each and every one of those being tricksters. Children’s books, as you might imagine, are packed full with them from cultures all over the world. Oddly, we haven’t seen as many from First Nations cultures lately. There was the graphic collection Trickster, edited by Matt Dembicki a couple years ago and Coyote Road: Trickster Tales edited by Ellen Datlow and Terrie Windling, but the only other truly fabulous title that comes to mind would have to be Thomas King’s A Coyote Columbus Story from 1992. That book remains, to this day, the gold standard Coyote story for me. Somehow author Thomas King, a Canadian of Cherokee and Greek descent, was able to perfectly tap into that combination of heroism and bone-deep foolishness Coyote brings to every tale. King’s been busy since that book came out, winning the Governor General’s Literary Award for his adult novel The Back of the Turtle in his spare time. He never really abandoned children’s books, though, and over the years has published stories like “Coyote Sings to the Moon” and “Coyote’s New Suit”. Now those two tales have been repackaged in a single book with the highly amusing art of Byron Eggenschwiler to match. The end result is exactly what I was hoping for. Coyote, silly and stupid and weirdly sympathetic, all rolled up together.
Consisting of two stories, the first tale “Coyote Sings to the Moon” recounts a time when the moon lay close to the earth and all the animals would sing her praise. All the animals, that is, but Coyote. When told by the other animals to abstain from singing due to his horrendous voice, Coyote offends the moon by questioning her necessity. Miffed, the moon disappears and it is Old Woman who has the wherewithal to realize that Coyote holds the key to getting the heavenly body back. In the second story, “Coyote’s New Suit” it is Coyote’s hubris that starts the trouble. Coyote loves his fur suit, but it doesn’t take much prodding from a mischievous Crow to convince him to try Bear’s suit on for size. Then Porcupine’s. Then Skunks. Then more. When humans and their human clothes get involved in the muddle, things only get rectified after some serious mix-ups.
One of the remarkable things about this book is that even though Coyote is consistently thickheaded, you feel for the guy. In some Coyote tales the character is out-and-out malignant. Here you feel some sympathy for him. In “Coyote Sings the Moon” he’s immediately hurt when the other animals tell him that he doesn’t have the greatest voice in the world (an understatement). “Coyote’s New Suit”, in contrast, shifts Coyote from schlemiel to schlimazel with Raven (another great trickster character) taking on the former role. The other interesting thing is the stories themselves. Not having an intimate knowledge of Coyote tales, these felt original but with elements of more traditional tales referenced throughout. When the Old Woman funnels Coyote’s talent for repulsion to its best use, that felt familiar. These tales have all the trappings of the real Coyote stories in terms of tone, repetition, and lack of moral. Plus you can’t help but love how “Coyote’s New Suit” reinforces the trickster’s pig-headedness, as he refuses to learn from past mistakes and walks right back into the trap that Raven has laid out for him. As for “Coyote Sings the Moon” am I the only one who kept thinking about the Italo Calvino story “The Distance of the Moon” as she read it? Yes? Thought so.
The book itself is a peculiar little package. Normally, if an author has some short stories to their name with a common theme, these books are packaged together. But for that to happen the book will usually consist of three such tales. Just two is odd. Abbreviated. Short. You reach the end and hanker for more, which I suppose could be construed to be a good thing. But I couldn’t help but wish that King had taken the time to conjure up just one more Coyote tale to accompany the two here. As it stands the book is a serviceable little early chapter book tale. Perfect for those kids lingering in that netherworld between easy books and 500-page Harry Potter-esque tomes. More of that, please.
Eggenschwiler, aside from having what may be the greatest last name in children’s literature at the moment (though Robert Quackenbush and Edwin Fotheringham might wish to arm wrestle him for the honor) provides the art for this particular outing. There’s no indication of what medium Eggenschwiler is working in necessarily, but from the deep blacks I’m going to have to assume pen and inks. Funny art? He can do that too, which is a relief. After all, an illustrator that can’t squeeze maximum fun out of the image of a moose sporting a frilly dress (seemingly against his will) would have little place on our library and bookstore shelves.
Trickster tales are not particularly abundant in a given publishing year. Early chapter books fare a little better, but they aren’t exactly burning up the market. Put the two together and what do you get? A rarity. A good rarity (just because something is hard to find, that doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily any good) that deserves a wide audience that will love and cherish it the way that it deserves. Thomas King channels Coyote’s spirit beautifully, and the end result are two stories that feel old but that 21st century kids are going to find incredibly funny. No small feat for one small book.
On shelves now.
Consisting of two stories, the first tale “Coyote Sings to the Moon” recounts a time when the moon lay close to the earth and all the animals would sing her praise. All the animals, that is, but Coyote. When told by the other animals to abstain from singing due to his horrendous voice, Coyote offends the moon by questioning her necessity. Miffed, the moon disappears and it is Old Woman who has the wherewithal to realize that Coyote holds the key to getting the heavenly body back. In the second story, “Coyote’s New Suit” it is Coyote’s hubris that starts the trouble. Coyote loves his fur suit, but it doesn’t take much prodding from a mischievous Crow to convince him to try Bear’s suit on for size. Then Porcupine’s. Then Skunks. Then more. When humans and their human clothes get involved in the muddle, things only get rectified after some serious mix-ups.
One of the remarkable things about this book is that even though Coyote is consistently thickheaded, you feel for the guy. In some Coyote tales the character is out-and-out malignant. Here you feel some sympathy for him. In “Coyote Sings the Moon” he’s immediately hurt when the other animals tell him that he doesn’t have the greatest voice in the world (an understatement). “Coyote’s New Suit”, in contrast, shifts Coyote from schlemiel to schlimazel with Raven (another great trickster character) taking on the former role. The other interesting thing is the stories themselves. Not having an intimate knowledge of Coyote tales, these felt original but with elements of more traditional tales referenced throughout. When the Old Woman funnels Coyote’s talent for repulsion to its best use, that felt familiar. These tales have all the trappings of the real Coyote stories in terms of tone, repetition, and lack of moral. Plus you can’t help but love how “Coyote’s New Suit” reinforces the trickster’s pig-headedness, as he refuses to learn from past mistakes and walks right back into the trap that Raven has laid out for him. As for “Coyote Sings the Moon” am I the only one who kept thinking about the Italo Calvino story “The Distance of the Moon” as she read it? Yes? Thought so.
The book itself is a peculiar little package. Normally, if an author has some short stories to their name with a common theme, these books are packaged together. But for that to happen the book will usually consist of three such tales. Just two is odd. Abbreviated. Short. You reach the end and hanker for more, which I suppose could be construed to be a good thing. But I couldn’t help but wish that King had taken the time to conjure up just one more Coyote tale to accompany the two here. As it stands the book is a serviceable little early chapter book tale. Perfect for those kids lingering in that netherworld between easy books and 500-page Harry Potter-esque tomes. More of that, please.
Eggenschwiler, aside from having what may be the greatest last name in children’s literature at the moment (though Robert Quackenbush and Edwin Fotheringham might wish to arm wrestle him for the honor) provides the art for this particular outing. There’s no indication of what medium Eggenschwiler is working in necessarily, but from the deep blacks I’m going to have to assume pen and inks. Funny art? He can do that too, which is a relief. After all, an illustrator that can’t squeeze maximum fun out of the image of a moose sporting a frilly dress (seemingly against his will) would have little place on our library and bookstore shelves.
Trickster tales are not particularly abundant in a given publishing year. Early chapter books fare a little better, but they aren’t exactly burning up the market. Put the two together and what do you get? A rarity. A good rarity (just because something is hard to find, that doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily any good) that deserves a wide audience that will love and cherish it the way that it deserves. Thomas King channels Coyote’s spirit beautifully, and the end result are two stories that feel old but that 21st century kids are going to find incredibly funny. No small feat for one small book.
On shelves now.
August 17, 2020
I bought this book on Kayla's (booksandlala) recommendation. It is a cute book and beautifully illustrated for a children's book. It's short, but gives us two important tales based on the trickster Coyote.
The first story is funny and to me tells why coyotes and even their cousins the wolves howl at the moon.
The second story is a little deeper, yet told in a funny style about loving the skin you're in.
Both of my boys loved it and I will be looking into more books by this author. This book is age appropriate for everyone.
The first story is funny and to me tells why coyotes and even their cousins the wolves howl at the moon.
The second story is a little deeper, yet told in a funny style about loving the skin you're in.
Both of my boys loved it and I will be looking into more books by this author. This book is age appropriate for everyone.
June 29, 2020
My only complaint about this book is that there were only two stories. I want so many more stories.
November 24, 2017
3.5 stars. Coyote is pretty silly, causing trouble first with the Moon, then with several animal and humans, in two separate short stories. And Raven’s laughing at all the out-of-sort individuals. : )
December 9, 2021
bien bien aimé et tout approprié pour travailler le système verbal du passé 🍎
January 21, 2022
4.25. I thought that both short stories were beautifully illustrated and told with a lightheartedness and sense of humour but also depth and reflection.
October 31, 2021
Beautiful illustrations for two funny tales about a mischievous coyote. I can easily imagine kids laughing and giggling while reading Coyote's shenanigans.
July 29, 2020
Challenge: Canadian Read-EH-thon August 2020 (preemptive) - Indigenous author (1, Cherokee, Thomas King), Canadian publisher (3, Groundwood/House of Anansi), nature on cover (4, coyote, moon), children's (10). I read this book twice on Hoopla, once in print to view illustrations by Albertan artist Byron Eggenschwiler and once as audio read by Meegwun Fairbrother, First Nations Ojibway. Two tales of trickster humor: 'Coyote Sings to the Moon' and 'Coyote's New Suit'. The former story relates why coyote howls at the moon and why the moon is positioned as it is from the earth; the latter story tells of the time when humans and animals stopped speaking to one another. Lesson in both: when trickster coyote is insulted, things can go awry.
November 17, 2017
These trickster tales are perfect for read alouds and the included black and white illustrations help bring the stories to life. I plan to use this book for read alouds in my 4th grade library classes to introduce the genre and paired with TRICKSTER: Native American Tales (A Graphic Collection) by Matt Dembicki from Fulcrum Books.
Thanks to the publisher for this review copy!
Thanks to the publisher for this review copy!
February 26, 2020
Collection of two coyote trickster tales, and these two are particularly fun. They would be great read-alouds for older elementary students.
July 31, 2021
Thomas King can write for any and all age groups!! “Coyote Tales” is a short two-story collection for ages 7 & up. These tales are humorous, lighthearted narratives about the land and animals connection to it. The illustrations are dynamic, and the writing style is whimsical and poetic. I think this would be a great book for a younger kid to enjoy as the transition into middle grade reads. It’s also a nice quick read for anyone of any age.
August 31, 2023
Cute and humourous tales with lovely illustrations about the moon and clothing confusion 🌙
May 29, 2024
Was this fully a cover read? Yes, yes it was.
And it was delightful.
Inside are two, short children's stories with multiple illustrations in each. They would make excellent bed time stories.
In the first tale, Coyote accidentally drives the moon out of the sky with his complaints. Then later he uses his terrible singing voice to drive her back into the sky. It feels very much like a foundational folktale that explains the world around you, but in a silly and light-hearted way.
The second tale is Coyote's New Suit in which Raven is their usual trickster self and stirs up trouble (via the proxy of Coyote) between humans and animals. The art is very fun, vacillating between naked animals (save for their heads) and those in human clothes (like a moose in a dress).
Audiobook Notes:
It's surprising that this has an audiobook (considering the recording clocks in ~39min) but was a great surprise. I thought the narrator, Meegwun Fairbrother, did an excellent job and I liked the way he would sing some of the quotes.
And it was delightful.
Inside are two, short children's stories with multiple illustrations in each. They would make excellent bed time stories.
In the first tale, Coyote accidentally drives the moon out of the sky with his complaints. Then later he uses his terrible singing voice to drive her back into the sky. It feels very much like a foundational folktale that explains the world around you, but in a silly and light-hearted way.
The second tale is Coyote's New Suit in which Raven is their usual trickster self and stirs up trouble (via the proxy of Coyote) between humans and animals. The art is very fun, vacillating between naked animals (save for their heads) and those in human clothes (like a moose in a dress).
Audiobook Notes:
It's surprising that this has an audiobook (considering the recording clocks in ~39min) but was a great surprise. I thought the narrator, Meegwun Fairbrother, did an excellent job and I liked the way he would sing some of the quotes.
June 9, 2024
Dans le cadre de l'événement "En juin, je lis autohtone", j'ai choisi comme première lecture "Contes de coyote".
J'étais curieuse de découvrir ce livre comprenant deux contes imaginés par Thomas King, le tout magnifiquement illustré de la main de Byron Eggenschwiler.
•Coyote chante à la lune•
"Coyote met la lune en colère, tant et si bien qu'elle le fuit jusqu'au fond de l'étang et plonge du même coup le monde dans l'obscurité. Vieille-Femme et les autres animaux trouveront-ils un moyen de la faire remonter dans le ciel?"
•Le nouvel habit de coyote•
"Sous l'œil espiègle de Corbeau, Coyote s'empare des habits des autres animaux de la forêt. Puis, Corbeau encourage les animaux à dérober les vêtements des êtres humains..."
Mais quel roman magnifique! J'ai eu beaucoup de plaisir à découvrir ces deux courtes histoires si joliment agrémentées des illustrations.
Pssst! Découvrez le balado documentaire « La tradition orale » lié à cet album et issu de la série À l'écoute!.
J'étais curieuse de découvrir ce livre comprenant deux contes imaginés par Thomas King, le tout magnifiquement illustré de la main de Byron Eggenschwiler.
•Coyote chante à la lune•
"Coyote met la lune en colère, tant et si bien qu'elle le fuit jusqu'au fond de l'étang et plonge du même coup le monde dans l'obscurité. Vieille-Femme et les autres animaux trouveront-ils un moyen de la faire remonter dans le ciel?"
•Le nouvel habit de coyote•
"Sous l'œil espiègle de Corbeau, Coyote s'empare des habits des autres animaux de la forêt. Puis, Corbeau encourage les animaux à dérober les vêtements des êtres humains..."
Mais quel roman magnifique! J'ai eu beaucoup de plaisir à découvrir ces deux courtes histoires si joliment agrémentées des illustrations.
Pssst! Découvrez le balado documentaire « La tradition orale » lié à cet album et issu de la série À l'écoute!.
October 6, 2019
Thomas King‘s rendition of these classic tales contains his trademark humour with modern touches. He makes them more appealing and relevant for today’s readers. I read the first one, Coyote Sings to the Moon, to a group of Grades three and four students. They were silently enthralled as I read it aloud and laughed in all the right places. The wanted me to read another, but we had run out of time. I read the second, Coyotes New Suit, to myself and while it was good, I think the first one was best.
June 10, 2020
This is a wonderfully charming little book.
July 3, 2021
There are two stories. The first one is about music, a coyote and a moon. The second story is about animals, humans, a raven and a coyote. It is a very enjoyable and short read with added humour! Very creative stories!
July 12, 2021
I did not expect to enjoy these little tales, but the author’s sense of humour is delightful! Gotta love a good trickster story!
October 4, 2022
Deux contes drôles et charmants magnifiquement illustrés!
October 21, 2022
Funny Native American folk tales that reminded me a bit of Uncle Remus tales. Full of funny LOL moments.
February 25, 2023
Une plongée dans des contes de notre enfance, mais en version 21e siècle. Bref, de la nostalgie mis à jour. J'ai beaucoup apprécié.
May 18, 2022
I sort of wished there were more than just two stories. This was interesting, but I felt it could have been a tad bit longer. I liked how the animals were living amongst the humans and spoke to them too.
February 18, 2022
This book was hilarious xD highly recommended. It included two trickster figures: Coyote and Raven. It's meant for children but the humor can definitely be enjoyed at any age. I will be reading more of Thomas King's books.
"Coyote had an idea. It wasn't a good idea, but then most of Coyote's ideas weren't."
"Coyote had an idea. It wasn't a good idea, but then most of Coyote's ideas weren't."
February 1, 2018
Wonderful! Fans of mythology will love these two short trickster tales featuring coyote. Having read a good amount of mythology I found myself really enjoying a modern retelling. it's like seeing an animal in the wild vs. seeing a taxidermy at the natural history museum.
full disclosure: I got a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
full disclosure: I got a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 4, 2025
Yes, it's a children's book, but the message is for everyone. If you see this book on your travels, make sure to pick it up!
March 10, 2018
I love reading folklore and this spin on folklore type tales is cheeky and entertaining. I especially like the first half with the moon.
March 13, 2025
Two charming, enjoyable tales 🙂
July 30, 2022
*audiobook
November 5, 2022
Two clever, fun Native American tales of coyote and the mischief he always seems to cause.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews