How the Sea Began: A Taino Myth
Taken from the first ethnological study done in the New World, this pourquoi story makes a strong contribution to the growing number of books preserving ancient tales of early cultures. When Yayael, a great hunter among Puerto Rico's Taino natives, disappears during a hurricane, his parents place his powerful bow and arrow in a gourd hanging from the ceiling. One day the gourd fills with fish enough for all the hungry villagers; but when some curious boys are asked to protect this magical food source, catastrophe occurs. They inadvertently break the gourd, and "in an instant everything in the hut was afloat." Torrents "flowed and rose to cover the land" and eventually "all kinds of sea creatures came out of the gourd to fill the water with life"--the villagers will never hunger again. Crespo's debut book successfully combines a spare, to-the-point retelling with stylized, brightly colored oil paintings that playfully echo forms and faces from early masks and sculpture without being too abstract for a child's comprehension. A concluding pronunciation guide and notes on the Taino culture will be helpful for teachers and parents. Ages 5-8.Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.