A Coyote Columbus Story

A Coyote Columbus Story retells Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas through a Native American trickster tale: Coyote, who created everything in the world and loves playing ball, is interrupted by a funny-looking red-haired man named Columbus who has no interest in the beavers, moose, or turtles of her land — only in the human beings he can capture and sell in Spain. Cherokee-Greek author Thomas King's sharp, funny, and subversive text is paired with William Kent Monkman's brilliantly colored, anachronism-filled illustrations to create a picture book that makes readers laugh before revealing the sharp truth beneath its humor.

This is an important choice for students because it models how history looks completely different depending on whose perspective tells it — making it a perfect launch point for discussions about colonialism, point of view, and the stories we choose to tell.

Publishing Details

Author : Thomas King

Illustrator : William Kent Monkman

Author Nationality : Canada

Physical Details

Type of Book: Picture

Cover: Hardcover

Pages: 32

Size: 8.7 x 10.6 inches

Year Published: 1992

Instructional Details

Reading Grade Level: 2nd

Genre: Fiction

Sub-Genre: Traditional Literature

Theme: Native Americans, Indigenous People, Social Studies, Fables & Folktales