HOW FOOD WAS GIVEN Illustrated by Barbara Marchand Penticton (B.C.), Theytus Books, 1984 (reprinted with new illustrations 1991). unpaged, paper, $12.95, ISBN 0-919441 -22-X. (Kou-Skelowh/We Are the People). CIP HOW NAMES WERE GIVEN Illustrated by Barbara Marchand Penticton (B.C.), Theytus Books, 1984 (reprinted with new illustrations 1991). unpaged, paper, $12.95, ISBN 0-919441-24-6. (Kou-Skelowh/We Are the People). CIP HOW TURTLE SET THE ANIMALS FREE Illustrated by Barbara Marchand Penticton (B.C.), Theytus Books, 1984 (reprinted with new illustrations 1991). unpaged, paper, $12.95, ISBN 0-919441-16-5. (Kou-Skelowh/We Are the People). CIP NEEKNA AND CHEMAI Illustrated by Barbara Marchand Penticton (B.C.), Theytus Books, 1984 (reprinted with new illustrations 1991). unpaged, paper, $12.95, ISBN 0-919441-15-7. (Kou-Skelowh/We Are the People). CIP Kindergarten to Grade 6/Ages 5 to 11 Reviewed by Patricia Fry Volume 20 Number 5 1992 October Although these four books form a series ("We Are the People"), they can be divided into two reviews: the three Okanagan legends and the story that could have happened long ago to native peoples living in the Okanagan Valley. Neekna and Chemai is the story of two girls growing up in the Okanagan Valley before the coming of the white people. Through these two friends we learn about the seasonal life pattern of the Okanagan people, a tribe in the interior of British Columbia. The book is divided into four chapters that parallel the seasons. Essentially, the story reinforces the traditional respect for the land coupled with respect for the wisdom of the elders. All four books in this series have been reprinted from an earlier printing in 1984. Therefore, it is difficult to account for the proofreading error in Neekna and Chemai that has the page that should begin page 6 in the first chapter ("Winter") misprinted on page 2 of the fourth chapter ("Fall"). The three Okanagan legends rework familiar mythological themes. How Food Was Given sets up the strongest echoes with mythologies of other cultures and explains the native peoples' reverence for life in general. How Names Were Given has more to do with the coyote than any other animal. How Turtle Set the Animals Free has an interesting explanation for the importance of dreaming, but the theme could have been developed more fully. It is never explained why the animals are in slavery in the first place. Indeed, it is as if this legend begins and ends in the middle of some other story-telling session. There are many excellent renditions of North American native legends available today. The competition portrays more evocative story-telling with truer mythological echoes in the illustrations than this Okanagan series, which has a Primary/ Junior reading level. Unless a collection requires an in-depth focus on western native peoples, I would not recommend purchase of this series, particularly at $12.95 per copy. Patricia Fry is a teacher-librarian with the Peel Board of Education in Mississauga, Ontario