Lion Singer

Written and Illustrated by Sylvia Ross

There was once a time when there was no metal in the Chukchansi people's world...

So begins this story set in the old days—before there were cars or television sets, in a time when much of California was covered in swamps, meadows, and forests—when there lived a boy of the Chukchansi tribe in the foothills of the great Sierra mountains.

For thousands of years California Indian elders have used storytelling for entertainment and to teach children values such as love, courage, caution, and responsibility. Lion Singer is just such a tale, presenting Chukchansi culture and familiar relationships in an inviting, heartwarming manner.

About the Author

Sylvia Ross was born and raised in Los Angeles, apart from her family’s Chukchansi culture. After graduating from high school, she worked as a painter for Walt Disney Productions, later returning to school to earn a B.A. from Fresno State University. She then moved with her family to Porterville, where she taught at a school attended by the children of the Tule River Indian Reservation. Now retired, she writes poetry, draws, and restores old photographs and microfilm images.