Bookshelf

BOOKSHELF Historical Atlas of the American West, by Warren A. Beck and Ynez D. Haase. University of Oklahoma Press, 1989. 200 pages. $29.95, hardcover.

The time was right for a historical atlas of the American West. The University of Oklahoma Press has previously published four such atlases of individual states: Washington, California, New Mexico, and Arizona. Now, with the appearance of such an atlas covering the entire American West, the horizon of information is considerably broadened. The American West, as it is defined in this publication, includes the contiguous states from the 100th meridian westward: Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Nevada, Idaho, California, Oregon, Washington, and of course Arizona.

While the volume is of good size (12 by 9 inches), it is not a coffee-table book. It is designed to appeal to the intellect rather than the eye. Within its pages are 78 maps done by cartographer Ynez D. Haase, as well as references, an appendix, and a detailed index.

Navajo Coyote Tales, collected by William Morgan. Ancient City Press, 1989. 49 pages. $7.95, softcover; $18.95, hardcover. Sun Journey: A Story of Zuni Pueblo, by Ann Nolan Clark. Ancient City Press, 1988. 90 pages. $8.95, softcover; $18.95, hardcover. Little Herder in Autumn, by Ann Nolan Clark. Ancient City Press, 1988. 96 pages. $8.95, softcover; $18.95, hardcover.

I recently saw a T-shirt bearing the declaration, “It’s never too late to have a happy childhood.” That message came to life as I read these three children’s books, all published by the same firm in Santa Fe.

The folktales collected by anthropologist William Morgan have their roots in the Navajo tradition of storytelling. Directed to children, they have served the three-fold purpose of education, entertainment, and moral instruction. To Navajos and other Native Americans, the coyote is a trickster: sometimes clown,

HISTORICAL ATLAS OF THE AMERICAN WEST

Here is the history of the West from prehistoric times to the present. Natural resources (including minerals), geographic features, climate zones, types of agriculture, flora and fauna, even natural disasters, are covered in detail. Such basic information as early explorations, trade routes, and the types of transportation that evolved from them are found in the text. Land grants, Indian wars and rituals, even World War II military and prisoner-of-war camps are listed and located. The variety of information offered by the atlas is impressive. Two segments on the history of the West are especially interesting for different reasons. The establishment of the Mormon empire and its dramatic expansion are covered succinctly.

And the Ghost Dance movement, based on a Native American ceremony to exterminate whites and resurrect deceased Indians and buffalo, will be unfamiliar to many.

I predict that the Historical Atlas of the American West will be read, reread, and constantly referred to. From the 100th meridian westward, you will better know the land you have always loved. sometimes villain, always a charmer-as is the book.

Sun Journey, one of Newbery medalist Ann Nolan Clark's finest works, tells of a 10-year-old Zuni boy who is taught by his grandfather the significance of Zuni life. Little Herder in Autumn, also by Ann Nolan Clark, tells a story, in English and Navajo, of family life through the ever alert eyes of a small Indian girl. The book is masterfully illustrated by the Navajo artist Hoke Denetsosie. The pictures project an authenticity achieved only by living the life they depict.

100 Desert Wildflowers of the Southwest, by Janice Emily Bowers. Southwest Parks and Monuments Association, 1989. 31 pages. $4.95, softcover.

Anyone who has visited the deserts of the Southwest after a wet winter knows the multihued beauty to be found there. The author of 100 Desert Wildflowers of the Southwest is a botanist with the U. S. Geological Survey, stationed at the Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill in Tucson. She has published five books of natural history and one biography.

When you venture forth on the spring desert, take a copy of 100 Desert Wildflowers. Each plant is pictured in full color and described in a brief but absorbing text.

(RIGHT) “Three Women,” by Ruth Colcord Frerichs; acrylic on paper, 30 by 21 inches. Born in White Plains, New York, the artist graduated from Connecticut College and studied at the New York Art Students League before moving to Arizona in 1954. Since then she has won widespread recognition for her versatility and subject matter. Her work is represented at Arizona State University and in many private and corporate collections.

(BACK COVER) Honey bees cluster on a waxen comb from a beekeeper's hive. For more on Arizona's “sweet bees,” see page 10. RICK RAYMOND