Michael Lacapa

In a southwestern village, a resourceful young woman is intrigued by the appearance of a mysterious stranger — actually an antelope in human guise. The maiden marries him, but when they are shunned by her people, the couple chooses to return to his family and live out their lives as antelopes. Since then, the narrator explains, man has honored the antelope by never hunting or killing it. — Publishers Weekly

Through a simple story line and easy, concrete language, Lacapa offers an Apache pourquoi folktale he remembers from his youth. The tale explains that the sound of wind echoing through the canyons comes from the flute of a young brave serenading his sweetheart. When the young man goes on his first hunt without telling her, she is sure she’s been forgotten; she becomes ill and dies. Returning home, the boy learns of her death, and continues to play his flute at her grave. — School Library Journal