The Story of Blue Elk

The Story of Blue Elk

In this traditional Native American tale, a mute boy is spiritually linked to a magnificent elk from the day of the boy’s birth. The two are companions until the elk is killed, leaving the boy a precious bequest: its antlers, around which a cedar tree grows. From that wood the boy, now a young man, makes a beautiful flute, on which he plays to woo his true love.

Luminous illustrations accompany the moving story of a boy whose animal spirit brother helps him find his voice and fulfill his destiny.

About the Author

Gerald Hausman is the author of more than 70 books. His live storytelling has been praised by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, History Channel, and the Bank Street College of Education. He and his wife have received numerous awards in the field of children’s literature.

In addition to his 22 years of story gathering and telling in New Mexico, Gerald also spent 13 summers on the island of Jamaica where he ran an informal writing school with his wife, Lorry. Together they collected Anansi stories, stories from and about the Kebra Nagast, and traditional West Indian ghost stories.

Gerald teaches writing workshops in various parts of the United States and is most recently the author of “The American Storybag” — 40 years of story gathering on and off the road. He lives on a barrier island in Florida.