Knots on a Counting Rope

Knots on a Counting Rope

Written By Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault

Illustrated By Ted Rand

Appropriate for Grades 1-5

Genre: Multicultural

Have you ever been told a story from a relative? Do you think its helpful when you hear stories from times when you cannot remember? In the story Knots on a Counting Rope, a young boy hears a common story from his grandfather about his upbringing. This story takes him back to his youth, and makes him cherish where he comes from. It is a great story, and is considered multicultural because it is from a Native American point of view. 

Martin and Archambault’s story is about a young Native American boy named “Boy-Strength-of-Blue-Horses” and his grandfather, experiencing story telling. His grandfather walks him through multiple stories that he has already been told before, and the boy interjects during them and begins to tell the story as well. He is told about the day he was born, how he obtained his name, the birth of his horse, and the first time he crossed the dark mountains. Story telling in this book is very important to the characters, and that is how they are able to learn and eventually tell the same stories themselves, when they have children or when younger ones ask. 

I love this book because it is accurate, the quality is great, and the authors are respectful of the Native American culture. This book is accurate because it tells the story of a young boy being told a story, and because there was not pen and paper to record stories then, story telling was the way to pass on information from generations. His grandfather continuously tells him these stories, so that one day when he is not there, the boy can tell his own stories, because he will already know it so well. Native Americans are known for their fantastic story telling. The quality is also great, nothing seems forced and the dialogue seems as if it would really happen between a grandfather and grandson. There is a lot of love present, and that is part of what makes the story so realistic. Finally, the authors remain respectful when telling the story from a different culture. When portraying a different culture, it is always important to remain respectful when discussing. 

This story is appropriate for students in the age group of 5-11 years old. The student would need to be old enough to understand the importance of story telling, and be old enough to understand a different culture, Native American. This book can also be relatable to children, because everyone has been told a story before. I have heard plenty of stories from my family members of me as a child, because I was not old enough to remember. In the classroom, this book can be taught during a unit on history, Native Americans, or on the importance of story telling. Furthermore, connections to the Massachusetts ELA Frameworks include key ideas and details (2 and 3), and integration of knowledge and ideas (8).