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Friday, July 29, 2011
title: Dael and the Painted People (Book 3 in the Zan-Gah Series)
author: Allan Richard Shickman
genre: young adult fiction
published: 2011
pages: 155
first line: To dream of a head dripping with blood and look into its glazed and lifeless eyes might, even in sleep, leave the dreamer changed and chastened.
source: ARC copy sent by publisher for review
rated: 3 out of 5 stars
A prehistoric adventure, this is the third of the Zan-Gah young adult books. When Dael, guilty and tormented, came to live with the tribe of the painted people, he longed for peace and restoration; but without knowing it, he made a powerful enemy. Luckily, Dael had friends-including a troop of crows-and his own mystical powers. The disturbed and violent hero learns from the Children of the Earth, and from his submissive wife, a new way of life that is peaceful and generous. Dael and the Painted People is a story of conflict, healing, hate, and love by the winner of the Eric Hoffer Award, a finalist for the ForeWord magazine Book of the Year Award, and the Mom's Choice Gold Seal for Excellence in a family-friendly book series.
About:
Dael and the Painted People is the third installment in author Allan Richard Shickman's Zan-Gah books.
I read the first two books in the series, Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure and Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country, with my daughter last year and we enjoyed them.
The series, set in prehistoric times, revolves around the lives of two young brothers, Zan-Gah and Dael.
In this third installment, a now young adult Dael sets off in search of the Painted People, a rival tribe Dael feels he must join.
Alongside Dael is the shy, mute girl Sparrow. When Dael and Sparrow find the Painted People, the tribe welcomes them as their own.
The Painted People are a peaceful tribe, governed by the females in the group.
Dael being traumatized when he was younger and held captive for years, has a tendency towards aggressive behavior. Although Dael misses his brother Zan and his clan, living with the Painted People and Sparrow has calmed his spirit. He is well liked in the group. However, Dael has made one enemy, the elder shaman named Shnur.
Shnur sees Dael as his rival, a newcomer who wants to take his spot as the tribe's healer and shaman.
Shnur's hatred of Dael stems from jealousy.
My thoughts:
Dael and the Painted People picks up where Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country left off.
I was curious to see what would happen to these characters. This third book centers mostly around Dael and Sparrow.
I enjoyed reading about the Painted People and their customs. I found it a nice twist that although Sparrow is mute, she can speak the Painted People's language easily, since it consists of clicking noises.
We get to meet a few new characters in this third installment as well.
Author Allan Richard Shickman creates a prehistoric world and weaves a coming of age story within it. The characters and story lines are well written and entertaining. There's action and adventure in these books, and the prehistoric setting makes the perfect backdrop. The Zan-Gah books are fun reads for all ages. My daughter and I are enjoying this series.
There is a healing power in kindness, and Dael began to mend.
p.35
About the author:
Artist, teacher, author, and historian Allan Richard Shickman was an art history professor at the University of Northern Iowa for three decades. His first novel, Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure, won an Eric Hoffer Notable Book Award, and was a finalist for the ForeWord magazine Book of the Year Award. The series, including Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country, received the Mom's Choice Gold Seal for Excellence in family-friendly literature. Dael and the Painted People is the third of the Zan-Gah book series. He has also published articles in English Literary Renaissance, Studies in English Literature, Notes and Queries, Colby Quarterly, Art Bulletin, and Art History.
