Encounter

Encounter retells the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492 from the perspective of a young Taino boy who senses danger in the strangers' interest in gold and tries in vain to warn his people not to welcome them. Years later, as an old man, the narrator looks back with sorrow on the destruction of his people and their culture that followed the encounter he witnessed as a child. Jane Yolen's powerful reversal of the traditional Columbus narrative, paired with David Shannon's richly atmospheric illustrations, is an essential choice for students because it centers an Indigenous perspective rarely told in history books, encouraging critical thinking about whose stories get remembered and whose get erased.

Publishing Details

Author : Jane Yolen

Illustrator : David Shannon

Author Nationality : United States

Physical Details

Type of Book: Picture

Cover: Softcover

Pages: 32

Size: 11.0 x 9.1 inches

Year Published: 1996

Instructional Details

Reading Grade Level: 1st

Genre: Fiction

Sub-Genre: Historical Fiction

Theme: Native Americans, Indigenous People, Social Studies, Social Issues