The Star People: A Lakota Story

Summary of Book

Sister Girl and her brother Young Wolf wander away from their village and soon find themselves far out in the surrounding prairie. They sit down in the grass and watch the clouds passing above billow to form an eagle, horses, and other creatures. Suddenly, animals begin to race past the children on the ground—followed by a wall of fire! Fleeing along with the frightened beasts, Sister Girl and Young Wolf save themselves by tumbling into a shallow stream.

The fire leaves behind ash and a barren, forbidding landscape. The children realize that they are hopelessly lost. Night is coming—how will they get home to their parents? And why are the evening stars dancing so?

Author / Illustrator Biography

S. D. Nelson, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, is of Lakota and Norwegian descent. His previous book for Abrams, Gift Horse, won a Parents' Choice Award; Library Journal said, "This story, fluid in both narrative and illustrations, elucidates with grace and clarity a way of seeing the world. " S. D. Nelson lives in Flagstaff, AZ.