A Little Brave Makes a Big Difference in Hiawatha and the Big Flood

One of my favorite classic Disney shorts is Little Hiawatha, so I was tickled to come across a Disney’s World of Reading book with another story featuring the plucky young brave. In Hiawatha and the Big Flood, we get to see Hiawatha in the context of his tribe, and he really does look little as the adults tower over him with condescending smiles on their faces when he expresses his desire to join them on their hunt.

While there is no dialogue in Little Hiawatha, there is some here as he speaks to his elders, as well as his sister. The stubborn streak so evident in that short is present here as he goes off on his own to climb a tall tree that will allow him to watch the braves begin their hunt. Meanwhile, his connection to wildlife proves especially important here when a rainstorm leaves the hunters stranded in the middle of the river. His furry friends are eager to help. But what can they do?

This is a cute story demonstrating that there is more than one way to play a useful role in society and that adults would do well not to overlook the potential contributions of youngsters. I’m sure that most children, like Hiawatha, have felt frustrated at times because they are excluded from something exciting. This story captures that feeling of bitter disappointment. But Hiawatha doesn’t just sit around feeling sorry for himself. He puts his creativity and his allies to good use and finds a way to help the men who wouldn’t give him the time of day before.

The story is geared toward early readers, with two or three short sentences on each page. The narrative has a slightly clipped style to it, but the story still comes across well. Nonetheless, I would say that the illustrations are the most interesting aspect of the book. The short is a beautifully animated precursor to Bambi, and this book carries echoes of that majesty. The landscapes are especially lovely, and it’s fun to point out the different types of animals, including deer, rabbits, robins and beavers. Hiawatha himself is very cute with his rumpled hair and rosy cheeks, and it seems he’s grown just a bit because he’s not always losing his pants as he did in the short.

Hiawatha and the Big Flood is a brief but exciting tale that shows the power of nature to wreak havoc and the power of friendship to overcome disaster.