THE GREAT BALL GAME

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bruchac, Joseph. 1994. THE GREAT BALL GAME: A MUSKOGEE STORY. Ill. by Susan L. Roth. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0803715390

B. PLOT SUMMARY
As a resolution to a great argument about who was better, those with teeth or those with wings, the animals and birds agree to play a game. As the sides are picked no one wants the bat. The animals finally agree to take the bat. The winner of the game gets to pick a penalty for the loser.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This folktale relates how the birds came to fly south in the winter. This version by Joseph Bruchac is based on Louis Littlecoon’s story. The story is a straightforward telling of an argument and the resolution. While the characters in the story are animals it is easy to transfer the conflict resolution to humans.
The illustrations done by Susan L. Roth visually represent and contribute added meaning to the text. The illustrations are colleges from paper collected from around the world. Although the art is coarse it depicts the essence of the story to readers with its simple details. The vivid colors show the story as night falls and the bat arrives to win the game for the animals.
The story shows two opposing sides agreeing to solve a disagreement without fighting. The animal leaders, Crane and Bear, agree to play a game to solve their argument. Typical of childish behavior neither side wanted Bat to be on their side because he was different. The animals finally agree because Bear says size does not always matter. Both the sides participate with vigor before Bat swoops in and wins the game for the animals. Displaying grace, the Animals allow Bat to set the penalty and the Birds accept the penalty without complaint.
In a note at the beginning of the book Bruchac states this story is from Oklahoma Muscogee elder, Louis Littlecoon. In the same note Bruchac also declares that ball games of kinds have been used to settle arguments. He chose to make the game stickball in this story.
D. REVIEW EXCERPT
Booklist (Vol. 91, No. 2 (September 15, 1994))
Ages 4-8. In this Muskogee Indian tale, the birds argue with the beasts about which are better--those with teeth or those with wings. When the quarrel escalates to the brink of war, both sides agree to settle their disagreement on the playing field. The first side to score a point will set the other's punishment. The bat, who has wings as well as teeth, is initially spurned by both sides, then permitted to join the beasts. He scores the goal and banishes the birds for half the year. "So it is that the Birds fly south each winter. . . . And every day at dusk Bat still comes flying to see if the Animals need him to play ball." Roth's dynamic collages combine cut papers of varied textures and hues to create a series of effective illustrations. Short and well told, this appealing pourquoi tale lends itself to reading aloud.

Horn Book starred (March, 1995)
The Birds and the Animals decide to settle a disagreement with a stickball game, and the first side to score sets the losers' penalty. Bat, originally excluded from both teams, flies at dusk to help the Animals win. The Birds' penalty? They must leave for half of each year, which explains why birds fly south each winter. Artful cut- and torn-paper collages feature creatures juxtaposed against brilliantly colored or patterned backgrounds.

Kirkus Review (1994)
How the bat found its niche in the animal kingdom and why birds fly south in winter are explained in this Muskogee tale, one of a dozen similar stories on the topic found in Native American lore. In this version, a disagreement has arisen between the birds and the animals. They take to the stickball field (stickball here is a Native American game similar to lacrosse) to resolve the affair. The bat is spurned by the birds as too small, but the animals take him in, if only as an alternate. As twilight settles over the playing field, the bat comes into his element and scores the winning goal. He then levies a penalty on the birds: They must leave that land for six months every year, while the bats stay home and rest. As an explanation for migration, this story has it all over the stellar-geo-electromagnetic theory currently in vogue. Roth's distinctive collages have a Red Grooms busyness ranging from bright and appealing to appropriately subtle, rendered from elegant handmade papers gathered in Tibet, Italy, Japan, and Thailand. There is one problem, though. Many bats don't stay home and rest. They migrate, too. Oops.

E. CONNECTIONS
Young students can brainstorm other ways to settle arguments.