Love Flute

A nice enough story, with appealing artwork, and Goble has a reputation for research.  However, the author's note is incomplete, and I don't think this can be used to teach Native American history.  After all, who are these people?  Are they Lakota, or Apache, or what?  Readers who want to hear native flute music are directed to Kevin Locke, who is Lakota.

The book tells the story of a shy young man who is given a love flute by the birds and animals to win the heart of a beautiful girl in his tribe. He is sad that he cannot find the way to communicate with her through words, but he learns to show her his love through music. He speaks to her with the music of his flute and "told her more beautifully than words could ever say: I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you."

A retelling of a Santee Dakota myth, this book tells of a boy who leaves his village because he is unable to tell the girl he loves about his feelings for her. While he is away, he is visited by mystical people who give him a love flute to help him woo the girl he loves.

The illustrations in this book are wonderful, and the story is sweet. I enjoyed this book a lot.

I would use this book in a unit in which we talk about the different myths in different cultures like Greek and Roman gods as well as native american creation myths.

There is a young man who is to shy to talk to the girl he loves. He grows despondent and leaves his village. As he is walking a magical arrow leads him to an aspen forest where two Elk Men give him a flute which will speak to the girl for him through its music. As the man walks back to his village, he listens to all the natural sounds around him and make his own melodies. When he arrives back home, he plays the flute and the girl he loves knew it was for her and she loves him too. The illustrations show a different flute on every page. These flutes are drawings from real flutes and they are very intricate and beautiful. You can see the tipi’s and other aspects of their lives. This Indian village lived with nature and it shows in their show more hair pieces and blankets. They dress and actions have a lot of symbolism. show less

The main idea of Love Flute is to follow your heart. The arrow that the young man shot up into the air without meaning represented his heart guiding him where to go and what to do. Soon enough he found himself back at his camp, and was able to over come his shyness and communicate with the girl in his own way. This is a valuable lesson for children because it volumes about how to be true to yourself, and your hopes and dreams.

Goble includes a brief forward about the legend of the Native American love flutes, followed by a fictionalized version of the story. Illustrations are in the style of Native traditions.

Another vivid book that shares the longing and desires of young man to woo the woman of his dreams.
Beautiful illustrations of sixteen flutes.
A beautiful story of vindication.

Use to teach that we all need help to accomplish some desires of our hearts.