Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Heart, storytelling in relatable tale of legendary leader.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
PEACEMAKER retells the story of the legendary figure believed to have been sent by the Creator in long-ago times to unite warring Indigenous tribes of North America. Long before the arrival of the first European colonists, the five tribes of the Iroquois Nations -- Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas -- are in a constant state of bloody conflict with each other that seems to have no end. Until a charismatic storyteller arrives, offering a path of peace and unity, gathering the tribes in a life-changing confederation that would inspire many founders of democratic governments in years to come. All this is seen through the eyes of 12-year-old Okwaho, who's consumed with thoughts of helplessness, vengeance, and despair when his best friend is taken captive, but who sees hope for a better way in the Peacemaker's words and wants to help.
Is It Any Good?
Heart, connection, history, and storytelling loom large as a 12-year-old Indigenous boy, caught up in never-ending warfare, finds hope for a better way in the words of a charismatic messenger. Scholar/storyteller Joseph Bruchac delves into the oft-told traditional accounts of the Peacemaker, who united the warring tribes of the Iroquois Nations into a confederacy that's served as a model for democracies ever since. Song and story are important for making your point and changing hearts and minds. Here, in a metaphor for the unending conflict, the Peacemaker tells of a snake who's busy devouring a frog when a passer-by suggests to the frog that he grab the snake's tail and start his own devouring.
"As the frog swallowed and the snake continued swallowing, the circle they formed got smaller and smaller... The snake swallowed and the frog swallowed, the snake swallowed and the frog swallowed. And the circle got smaller and smaller until...
"The Peacemaker clapped his hands together. 'Pop!' he said. 'They both disappeared. They had eaten each other.'"
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Peacemaker is based on the history of Indigenous people who lived in North America long before the first European colonists arrived. Why is it important to bring these tales to light? Do they have any connection with us today?
If your best friend was abducted, never to return, how would you react?
Have you encountered the situation where people -- like Okwaho's family and friends here -- just want to be left alone and live in peace, but are constantly attacked and oppressed by bullying people and those who want to fight instead? Did they find a good solution, or just accept defeat?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Historical Fiction
- Topics : Activism , Friendship , History
- Character Strengths : Communication , Courage , Empathy , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Dial
- Publication date : January 5, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 12
- Number of pages : 160
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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