Rabbit and the Bears

Fourth in the Grandmother Stories series, which focuses on Cherokee history and legend, Rabbit and the Bears by Deborah Duvall, illus. by Murv Jacob, follows the trickster rabbit Ji-Stu and Yona, a bear, as winter approaches. Yona brings Ji-Stu up into the Smoky Mountains to Lake Ata-Gahi, a sacred and hidden refuge for all animals. Everyone shares food, stories and songs before the bears must prepare for hibernation. Jacob, a descendant of Kentucky Cherokees, creates b&w illustrations that resemble woodcuts and take on a vintage printmaking quality.