Dear Katie, the Volcano Is a Girl

By Jean Craighead George

Book Overview

What is a volcano? Katie's grandmother thinks that it is a geophysical phenomena caused by the movements of the earth's crust. But Katie is sure that the volcano is Pele, a Hawaiian goddess. Katie and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786803142
• ISBN13: 9780786803149
• Release Date: August 1970
• Publisher: Hyperion Press
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 10.4" x 8.4"
• Age Range: 7 to 10 years
• Grade Range: Grades 2 to 5

Customer Reviews

Trip to Hawaii

Katie and grandmother visit a Hawaiian volcano together. Katie's grandmother explains to her the scientific explanation of what she is seeing, but Katie won't hear any of it. Instead, she tells her grandmother all about the Hawaiian legend of Pele, the goddess of the volcano. The book is not scary. It would be good to read when preparing for a family trip to Hawaii. It may also prove a good starting point for comparing myths and reality. And kids who love volcanoes adore the book. It has about 800 words.

Science and Religion

In reading this book, I am reminded of how often I have found that myths that explain how the world works are often merely a symbolic explanation that when cut down to bare bones are exactly the same as science claims. My belief that religion and science have no need to clash is reinforced. They are two different explanations for the same fact. Religion and science can work together, in fact. Science answers our need for an intellectual explanation and religion fulfills our spiritual nature. For me, science has never undercut my faith as it only reinforces the miracle of our world. I also find it amazing that these ancient myths have such basis in fact. It seems to me that the workings of this world our something a human being can know inately and are not solely the knowledge of the wild animals.

A great religious teaching tool

We used this as a teaching story at our local Unitarian Universalist sunday school, showing that Humanist and Pagan beliefs can indeed coexist. In this story, the girl tells her grandmother about the Goddess Pele and Her sacred mountain, while the grandmother tells the girl about volcanoes and geological activity. At the end of the book, the grandmother says "I told you the scientific story, and you told me the religious story, and *they were the same*". Beautiful illustrations and very respectful treatment of Pele and Her mountain. Highly recommended.

A Great book that you can learn from

It was great. Katie the granddaughter told the myth of the volcano while the grandmother told the scientific things. I learned about how a volcano erupts and the myth people believed in. It was great and I'm sure that we can learn lots from it.

Wonderful book to teach children

I use this book in my sixth grade classroom when I teach a unit on volcanos. My students love it and I love the wonderful integration of vocabulary and scientific reasoning with a folk tale.