The Thunder Egg

K-Gr 3—In a thought-provoking story about what a person would give up to help others, Myers offers a story based partly on folklore traditions of various Plains tribes and partly on Myers's own imagination. Stands-by-Herself is different from her peer group, and her grandmother lets her know how proud she is of that fact. When the unnamed tribe (endnotes identify it as Cheyenne) goes through hardships due to drought, sickness, and lack of buffalo, Stands-by-Herself sacrifices what she thinks to be a thunder egg. The Thunderbird acknowledges this sacrifice and the people are given rain. Soft pastel watercolors add great detail to the story. The illustrations are further explained at the end of the book to provide readers with greater background information about the Cheyenne people and the time period before horses were introduced.