Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest [Hardcover]

Gerald McDermott (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: Caldecott Honor Book

Raven, the Native American trickster, feels sorry for those who must live in darkness, and he decides to help. He flies over mountains, valleys, and lakes and discovers that light is being kept hidden inside the house of the Sky Chief. Using his cleverness, Raven finds a way to bring light to the world. “The physical environment, oral literature, and traditional life of the Pacific Coast Indians come alive in this amusing and well-conceived picture book.”--School Library Journal

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

McDermott's crisply elegant version of a traditional Native American tale resounds with lyrical prose and the stylization of myth. The illustrations, in striking contrasts, echo the central theme of the birth of the sun by visually leading readers from darkness into light--McDermott adroitly juxtaposes a blurred backdrop of mist-drenched landscape against the sharp, bright colors of Raven himself and the glowing interior of the Sky Chief's domicile. Raven's sadness at seeing men and women living "in the dark and cold," without the warmth of the sun leads him to search out light. The trickster sets his plan in motion by being reborn as son to the Sky Chief's daughter. The doting grandfather, wanting the boy to be happy, commands that Raven-child be given an effulgent ball that he discovers in a shimmering box. With this orb--the sun--firmly in his grasp, the cunning creature changes back into a bird and soars off; whereupon "Raven threw the sun high in the sky, and it stayed there." With this masterfully executed reworking, McDermott adds to the folktale bookshelf a work in the grand tradition. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1 Up-- All the world is in darkness at the beginning of this traditional tale from the Indian cultures of the Pacific Northwest. Raven feels sorry for the people living in the gloomy cold, so he flies to the house of the Sky Chief in search of light and warmth. To get inside, Raven pulls a shape-shifting trick that allows him to be born to the god's daughter. As a spoiled and comic infant, Raven demands and gets the shiny ball that the gods have hidden away. The art and text capture the spirit of the Native American trickster hero; benevolent, clever, magical, unscrupulous, and ultimately triumphant, Raven acts out human virtues and foibles on a cosmic scale. The mixed-media illustrations contrast the foggy cold of the Northwest Coast with the cozy interior of a native plank house. Traditional dress, furnishings, and house construction are clearly depicted, as are the tender and indulgent emotions of the Sky Chief and his family. As Raven shape-shifts through the story, visual and verbal clues let children see that his essential nature remains intact. The book invites comparisons with other trickster heroes like Africa's Anansi and the Native American Coyote, as well as with stories of fire bringers like Prometheus. The physical environment, oral literature, and traditional life of the Pacific Coast Indians come alive in this amusing and well-conceived picture book. --Carolyn Polese, Gateway Community School, Arcata, CA
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1st edition (April 30, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152656618
• ISBN-13: 978-0152656614
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 11.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #564,018 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #42 in Books > Children's Books > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > United States

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They ask to listen to it again and again!, January 2, 2000

By 

Jenifer Kellystrauss "Jenifer" (New Orleans, LA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest (Hardcover)

The children in my Pre-K class cannot get enough of this book. The magic of the illustrations and the text has them mesmerized. Many times, when we have finished reading the story, they want to here it again!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book for children, and a wonderful story!, January 14, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest (Hardcover)

I bought this book on a whim for my daughter, as I am a great fan of Native American mythology and beliefs. I got it after a short wait, and looked through it.
The artwork is simply amazing; beatiful, detailed pictures accompany each portion of the story.. Even the surprised looks on the faces of people as Raven plays his trickster games is done magnificently!
The story itself is well written. It's the basic and ancient legend of how Raven stole the sun, but done very well, in language that even young kids can understand. It's a fun story to read, too, since you can make the book come alive by adding a few of your own choice sound effects, and just watch the look on your son or daughter's face...

But, best of all, children love it. When I first read it to my four-year-old, her eyes lit up, she became completely drawn into the story, and laughed and giggled as Raven did his thing. She even demanded that I read it over again - a rarity for my daughter, since she has a huge library of her own now!
I'll buy anything else I can find from this author. He won a Caldecott for this book, and small wonder; his work is absolutely magnificent, and I recommend getting it in hardcover because you'll wear the covers off a softcover version! Enjoy it!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars glorious, sumptuous and respectful, July 11, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest (Hardcover)

I get antsy when Native American themes and stories appear in children's books. Too often they reek of cultural misappropriation.

But this beautiful book--gorgeous watercolor backgrounds to the Northwest Native American-style imagery--feels respectful, and does a great telling of a favorite Tlingit Haida tale of how light came into the world.

The illustration of the morphing of the Sky Chief's spoiled grandson back into Raven is particularly effective.And when Raven fills the sky with the sun in his beak, it's very easy to buy into this story as a valid creation myth.

I've now bought three copies of this book for various pre-schoolers I know, and all my grown-up friensd who've seen this book have fallen in love with it, too. This is a definite winner, bound to become as classic in its own way as Robert McCloskey's ``Blueberries for Sal.''