I am always on the lookout for interesting books on folklore. Although I have certain cultural preferences, I have read and collected folk tales from all over the world, and a fair number of them have come from the rich and varied vein of Native American stories.

Beardream, written by Will Hobbs and illustrated by Jill Kastner, is a brief but interesting tale about the origin of the Ute bear dance.

One version of the legend describes how two brothers were hunting in the mountains when one of them noticed a bear standing upright and seemingly dancing. While one brother continued hunting, the other one stayed and learned the dance and song from the helpful bear. He in turn taught it to his people, who continue the tradition to this day, using the ceremony to mark the end of winter (and the hibernation period for bears).

That is the most common version of the story, but this isn't that one. Instead, Hobbs tells us of a young tribe member, Short Tail, who worries that bears in the area have woken from their winter's slumber but the Great Bear, the biggest and oldest of them all, hasn't been seen. Short Tail sets out to find and wake the Great Bear who, grateful for the young Ute's kindness, carries him to the bears' ceremonial dance and lets him participate. Then he, likewise, teaches his tribe.

It's a short story, presented in the form of a children's picture book. Don't let that dissuade you, though; adults who enjoy folk tales will enjoy this rendition, particularly coupled with Kastner's rich and colorful oil-based illustrations.

The bear dance dates at least back as far as the 15th century and is probably much older. Although the version of the story involving one or two hunters is easily found in other sources, this book is the only one I've heard or seen involving a child who went into the wilderness specifically looking for a bear out of concern, rather than hunger. I would be curious to know if that version of the story exists elsewhere, or if it sprang entirely from Hobbs' imagination.

Either way, it's a good story.