Tricksters. How Rabbit Tricked Otter

After yesterday's post about contemporary Cherokee storytellers, I wanted to focus today on some books by Gayle Ross, a Cherokee storyteller (and descendant of John Ross), with illustrations by Murv Jacob, a Cherokee artist (I am sad to say that he recently passed away; more here about his life). Of course I want to start with their book of trickster stories: How Rabbit Tricked Otter and Other Cherokee Trickster Stories.

This book is full of great stories: 15 trickster tales, with Rabbit causing all kinds of trouble. Look: Rabbit himself is presiding over this map of Cherokee lands which opens the book:

There's also an introductory note from Wilma Mankiller who says: "No stories are more important in the Cherokee oral tradition than the stories of Rabbit, the trickster-hero. Gayle Ross and Murv Jacob have contributed greatly to the preservation of the stories of Rabbit by creating this wonderful collection of stories and illustrations."

There are two other books by Ross and Jacob that you can find at the Internet Archive also: 

How Turtle's Back Was Cracked:
A Traditional Cherokee Tale

The Legend of the Windigo:
A Tale from Native North America

Plus you might remember Murv Jacob from a beautiful Joseph Bruchac book I wrote about here a while ago: The Boy Who Lived with the Bears, and Other Iroquois Stories. (Trickster rabbit appears in that book too!)

So many stories to read and enjoy, and so many beautiful illustrations!

How Rabbit Tricked Otter
and Other Cherokee Trickster Stories