SOFT CHILD: HOW RATTLESNAKE GOT ITS FANGS: A NATIVE AMERICAN FOLKTALE. Retold by Joe Hayes. Illustrated by Kay Sather. Tucson, AZ: Harbinger House (P. O. Box 42948, 85722-2948), 1993. Paperbound. 32 Pp. ISBN Number 0- 943173-89-2. $8.95. Written by Joe Hayes and illustrated by Kay Sather, “Soft Child: How Rattlesnake Got Its Fangs” is a absorbing rendition of the Tohono O’ odham folktale. Written for children, “Soft Child: How Rattlesnake Got Its Fangs” tells the story of Soft Child, the rattlesnake. At one time, a long time ago, Soft Child was harmless, he had neither rattle nor fangs. Because he crawled on the ground, he was concerned that he would be stepped on. Soft Child asked the Creator for something to warn the two- legged and four-legged creatures of his presence so that they could avoid him. The Creator blessed him with his rattle. Before long, however, the other animals began to find amusement in the rattle and would torment Soft Child just to hear him rattle. The Creator took note and gave Soft Child a second gift, that of his fangs and poison. He was instructed to use these gifts only to protect himself and to always rattle before biting. The illustrations are full page prints of black and white pencil drawings.  Their detail effectively captures the attention of both adults and children. This book would serve an excellent tool in the instruction of a small child that all things have their place and that even the things we find scary deserve respect, not hatred. Anita Cheek Moon, Member Reviewers’ Consortium
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