Raccoon and the Bee Tree Wins Two Awards   The Raccoon and the Bee Tree, a book set in eastern South Dakota and published by the South Dakota State Historical Society Press, has picked up two national awards. Written by Charles Eastman and Elaine Goodale Eastman and illustrated by award-winning artist Susan Turnbull of Rapid City, the book has been named a gold medal winner in the Distinctive Illustration category by the Mom’s Choice Awards. The same group also gave a silver medal to this book in the Ages 5-8 Fantasy, Myths and Legends category. The Raccoon and the Bee Tree, the 4th book in the Prairie Tale Series of books for children, is a classic American Indian tale. Turnbull's modern illustrations bring the story to life, helping dramatize a little raccoon’s night of big surprises. Charles Eastman was a Wahpeton Dakota who worked as a doctor on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Eastman met Elaine Goodale on the reservation, where she worked as a teacher. They married and later collaborated on this story and many others. Turnbull studied at the American Academy of Arts in Chicago and has illustrated five previous books. LibraryThing.com called The Raccoon and the Bee Tree “a delightful tale,” and said that Turnbull “has illustrated this edition with charming artwork.” The Mom’s Choice Awards are presented each year to recognize authors, inventors, companies, parents and others for their efforts in creating quality family-friendly media, products and services. The State Historical Society Press has received seven medals from the Mom’s Choice Awards for the first three books in the Prairie Tale Series. Dance in a Buffalo Skull, the second book in the series, was named Best Book of the Year by the Mom’s Choice Awards in 2008.