People of the Breaking Day

by Marcia Sewall

We are Wampanoags, People of the Breaking Day. Nippa'uus the Sun, in his journey through the sky, warms us first as he rises over the rim of the sea. At his birth each new morning we say, "Thank you, Nippa'uus, for returning to us with your warmth and light and beauty."
But it is Kiehtan, the Great Spirit, who made us we, the two-legged who stand tall, and the four-legged; those that swim and those that fly and the little people who crawl; and flowers and trees and rocks. He made us all, brothers sharing the earth.
So begins the story of the Wampanoag people, the tribe that lived in southeastern Massachusetts at the time the Pilgrims landed. In this companion book to The Pilgrims of Plimoth, winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for nonfiction, Marcia Sewall recreates the world of the Wampanoags, the People of the Breaking Day. In a voice that evokes the pride and natural poetry of these native people and in paintings glowing with life and light, the distinguished author-illustrator presents another view of an important time in American history, a time before the meeting of two very different cultures.

Genres: Picture Books, Thanksgiving, History, Native American, Childrens, School, Indigenous

Hardcover

First published September 30, 1990

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good book, and very informative about how the Wampanoags lived. It wouldn't be my first choice for any day, but I'm glad I read it. My mother and I have been doing homeschool lately, and we had for Thanksgiving, a special week dedicated to Wampanoags. I enjoyed the book, as what it was for, but I also think I'm unlikely to read it again. All in all however, it was a good book, and if you're hoping to learn a little bit about who the Wampanoags lived, this is the book for you. I personally prefer fiction, or fantasy, but this was for school still. I liked the book, but it wasn't my favorite.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

In depth picture book that approaches the Natives’ day in the life without it being a day in the life book. Really great supplemental book during colonial America studies. Fair warning - lots of text on each page. We read through because we are doing a unit study but if you’re reading this as supplemental I’d break it down into the subsections (Family, Seasons, etc) if you have antsy listeners or very young children.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is pretty wordy for a picture book, but engaging and informative. We learned a lot about the Wampanoag and enjoyed all the pictures. We appreciated the glossary of Wampanoag words in the back of the book.

[Anna Hofmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a hard time rating this book. It has a lot of really good aspects: I love the window into a different world. It was just a little too...?? poetic... for my son to understand. I do love the information and the point of view. I wish I could live like these people, so connected to nature and the seasons, ( but I do like my bed, electricity and running water.)

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This includes some impressionist type pictures that include breasts and a little boy’s penis. Because it’s impressionist, it’s not very realistic. It doesn’t seem as bad to me? All nudity is non sexual.

[Kristah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative book. My kids were not very interested in this one. It was not keeping their attention. It was a little bland but it's educational so it's not expected to be thrilling.

[Erin]

Second graders are studying Native American tribes. This one is from the perspective of the Wampanoag people. Nice paintings, lots of information, (though I am uncertain of the information's provenance)... but, ultimately, far too long for second graders in one sitting. Maybe I'll try it again over the course of two sessions. Maybe I'll find a different book in the future.