Keepers of the night : Native American stories and nocturnal activities for children / Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac ; story illustrations by David Kanietakeron Fadden ; chapter illustrations by Jo Levasseur and Carol Wood ; foreword by Merlin D. Tuttle.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Tips and techniques for bringing this book to life : Introduction to Keepers of the Night ; Steps for using this book effectively ; Telling the stories ; Leading the guided fantasies ; Performing puppet shows ; Taking children outdoors at night ; Conducting the activities ; Plants and animals in the wild: to collect or not to collect ; Teaching racial tolerance, understanding and appreciation -- 2. How the bat came to be (Anishinabe, Eastern woodland) : Nocturnal and crepuscular animals: birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish ; Nocturnal vision and sensory awareness ; Animal adaptations to life in the dark ; Nocturnal North American habitats ; Fears of the night world ; Finding your way at night -- Activities : Night by light ; Night walk ; Why animals don't go bump in the night (puppet show) ; Dark detectives -- 3. Moth, the fire dancer (Paiute, Great Basin) : Insects and spiders at night ; Nocturnal and crepuscular plants ; Plant adaptations and responses to nocturnal life ; Nocturnal plant habitats ; Nocturnal interactions between insects, spiders and flowers -- Activities : The scents of attraction ; Light up the night ; The blooming night ; Cricket cacophony ; Cricket thermometer ; Firefly flashers ; The spider and the firefly ; Poetry to your ears.

4. Oot-Kwah-Tah, the seven star dancers (Onondaga, Eastern woodland) ; The creation of the moon (Diné, Southwest) : the night sky, astronomy, star gazing, constellations, planets, sun as star, moon, native moon connections, lunar eclipse and solar eclipse, Aurora Borealis, lightning and thunder, day/night cycle, seasons, nighttime weather -- Activities : Stargazing ; Creating constellations ; From the Milky Way to the zodiac ; Reading the moon ; Moon walker ; Slip the eclipse ; Daylight, night ; Weather: day and night -- 5. Chipmunk and the owl sisters (Okanagan [Colville], Plateau) ; The great lacrosse game (Menominee, Eastern woodland) : Setting of the campfire and campsite, opening the circle of the fire, campfire building, storytelling around the campfire, native names, cooking native foods at campfire, native dance, native games, using your sixth sense, building a lean-to -- Activities : The campfire ; Opening the circle of the fire ; Storytelling ; Bear dance ; Fireside feast ; Native games -- 6. How grizzly bear climbed the mountain (Shoshone, Great Basin) : Learning from the animals ; Animal families ; Traditional native North American families ; North American bears ; Earth family of all living things ; Healing our relationship within the family of plants and animals ; The star vision: a healing, heavenly bear ; Personal metamorphosis ; Future visions and stewardship toward plants and animals -- Activities : Journey to the star bear ; The healing circles -- Glossary and pronunciation key to native North American words, names and cultures -- Other versions of native North American stories / Joseph Bruchac.

This is similar in format to KEEPERS OF LIFE and NATIVE PLANT STORIES, two other books from the same authors. It will help teachers and parents create nighttime outdoor adventures that are safe, educational, and suffused with what Dr. Merlin D. Tuttle (the founder of Bat Conservation International) calls, in his foreword to this volume, "the mystery and fascination of an unknown world." (Miller Library Staff)

Night is more than just a period of time between sunset and sunrise. In Native cultures nighttime is a crucial part of the Great Circle and balance in the universe, and Keepers of the Night features Native wisdom to help young people learn valuable lessons about the natural world.