Coyote and the Sky: How the Sun, Moon, and Stars Began
Grade 6 Up—In this spare and staid retelling of a Tamaya Pueblo creation myth, the storyteller explains how the sun, moon, and stars first appeared: "A long time ago, the Animal People decided to make a journey up into our world, the Fourth World. Back then, where we lived in the underworld was called Shipap, or the Third World." When they arrive at journey's end, a humorous illustration displays just eyes amidst blackness and the animals cry, "There is no light in the Fourth World! What should we do?" Subsequently, Squirrel and Rabbit return to the Third World three times to gather warm coals that enable them to bring light to the sky; familiar trickster Coyote arrives just in time to grab the third batch of coals and toss it carelessly into the night sky to create the stars and constellations. References to two different worlds may confuse some children and the text is stiff, contrasting sharply with the more lively dialogue and playful interaction found in another Pueblo tale, Valerie S. Carey'sQuail Song(Putnam, 1990). The animal figures in the illustrations are static in the style of petrography and are unlikely to engage children who are accustomed to more animated art. Teachers may want to use this story in their multicultural curriculum, although many will find its documentation inadequate. Libraries with large folklore collections might want to purchase it; smaller libraries will want to wait for a picture-book version that is better suited for children.—Kirsten Cutler, Sonoma County Library, CACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.