Arrow to the sun : a Pueblo Indian tale

Winner of the Caldecott Medal. Use in a variety of grade levels. Younger children will enjoy the pictures and the journey. Older children will learn about Pueblo Indian culture. According to Pueblo Indian folktale, the Lord of the Sun sent a spark of life to the world of men, and a boy was born.

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Throughout his young life, he has had no father, so begins a search to find him. A wise arrow maker turns the boy into an arrow and shoots him toward the sun. There, he faces several challenges to prove he is worthy of handling the power of the sun and spreading the spirit of the sun. In doing so, the Lord of the Sun turns the boy back into an arrow and shoots him back to the world of men, where the boy spread the spirit in the Dance of Life. Addresses beliefs, life, family, culture. Use in younger classroom for visual thinking development & culture lesson. Use in older classroom to compare cultures, analyze & create own folktales.

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Bright and colorful Native American tale

The art is so graphic and vibrant. It is interesting to make such static images seem full of movement. They also sort of look like early video games. Okay story about a boy searching for his father, but the art is the best part.

This retelling of an ancient Pueblo Indian legend is beautifully illustrated. McDermott tells the story of the journey of a young boy to find his father and himself. During his quest he must overcome many obstacles and prove his bravery. This successful folktale speaks to children everywhere of

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their own personal journeys to grow up and to become.

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The caldecott winner in 1974, this is a beautifully illustrated creation myth. Done with gauching.

A boy is searching for his father. In his search he discovers his father in the Lord who lives in the sun. He undergoes several challenges to prove that he is his father's son.

This retelling of a Pueblo Indian folktale about a boy who must undergo trials while searching for his father won the Caldecott medal for its vibrant art. The story is a simple, familiar one, but with one with great importance for the culture from whence it came. The art is bright and beautiful.

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The story could be slightly confusing for younger readers who would not be able to understand the symbolism, but the pictures would be very appealing.

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A young boy is sent to a maiden through a ray of the sun. The other boys won't play with him, because no one knows who his father is. He asks the corn planter, the pot maker and then the arrow maker. The arrow maker is a wise man, and he turns the boy into an arrow and shoots him back to the sun.

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The sun does not readily accept him as a son though; he puts the boy through a series of challenges with lions, serpents , and lightning. The boy emerges victorious of course though, and is celebrated when he returns to earth.

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This book is a tale about a boy who never knew his father. The story follows the boy through proving himself as the Lord Of The Sun's son. The book possesses challenges of finding one's self, and comfort of family knowledge.

Amazing illustrations, very authentic of the Pueblo Indians. Every page was so vibrant with color and the storyline speaks to many that want to journey out and find their missing parent. This is a wonderful tale about the sun and the earth. This is a great way to kick off the study of geometric

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shapes and how it can be used in the arts. I really enjoyed looking at this book.

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Other children ridicule the Boy who has no father, so he sets out to learn who his father is. Finally, the third person he comes to in the "world of Men," the Arrow Maker, is willing to help him. He turns the Boy into an arrow, and shoots him to the sun who poses a test to the Boy to determine who

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he really is. The Boy must pass through the Kiva of Lions, the Kiva of Serpants, the Kiva of Bees,and the Kiva of Lightening. Easily, the Boy did this and was filled with the power of the sun. Father sent him back to Earth where people celebrated his return.

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The illustrations in this book earned a Caldecott Medal in 1975 for the outstanding Native American imagery it contains. They were produced using a four step, colored ink process. The story tells of a boy who goes on a quest to find his father and must endure four trials to prove his lineage to the

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Lord of the Sun. This story speaks to the reader of the rich spiritual culture of the Pueblos. As in other Native American myths and legends, the spirit of the boy is transformed as he endures journeys and trials to reach maturity. The illustrations provide clues to this transformation: in the beginning, the boy is drawn completely black with a single feather in his head dress. By the end of the story, he is filled in with many colors and the head dress he wears is full and vibrant. This is a great example of a coming-of-age story that all cultures can appreciate and be inspired by.
Library Implications: While the illustrations and length of this story make it suitable for young children, I feel the underlying theme and spiritual content would make this a valuable read for older children as well. The librarian could work with English teachers to develop a study of myths and legends from various Native American groups. This would be a great way to compare and contrast belief systems. Students could also use a scaled-down version of the illustration technique to present pictures of themselves transformed after a particular trial of their own

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This story wasw very interesting to me because when i started reading it I thought it was about a boy who's father had died but ofter reading it I feel like it is talking about Jesus. I think it is a Indian tale that the Indians tell. It has the same meaning as the way we interpert the teaching of

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Jesus. This book could teach so much but I would use it to teach about Indians and their beliefs and how differant they are.

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This Myth does a fantastic job of portraying the Pueblo Indian culture. The illustrations are so amazing. The colors are so vivid and bright. This would be a great story to read during a native american unit, or just to expose students to other cultures.

McDermott, Gerald. (1974). The Arrow To The Sun: A Pueblo Indian Tale. New York: The Viking Press.
Written and illustrated by Gerald McDermott, The Arrow To The Sun is a Caldecott award winning book. The tale inside is a touching account of a boy desperately seeking to find his father as well as

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acceptance within his community. Combining everyday truths about fatherless children and the spiritual account of being a child of your Lord, this book gives hope to many without; while educating readers about the kind of spirituality practiced and believed by Native Americans. Vivid illustrations provide detail to the story within as well as a glimpse inside the artistic innovations of the Pueblo people. Utilizing geometric designs traditional to this culture, McDermott provides his audience with a literal and metaphorical interpretation of history and heritage quilted together in his account.
Librarians may find this book helpful to further enlighten their young community about the Pueblo culture. Additionally it could serve as background information for young patrons before a trip to a museum, since similar geometric designs can be found in tapestries and ceramics of original work as well as replicas of these historical items. This book might be helpful in a history class, art class, or museum library setting since as a whole it gives a good account of traditional storytelling while displaying the importance of artistic technique within this culture.

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The pictures in this book were amazing. They reflected Pueblo culture very well. The story, while very brief, was a good one. I think this would be a great introductory book for children both to reading and to a different cultural perspective.

Pueblo Indian myth and hero journey. Beautiful Indian designs honoring the Sun. Explains how the Sun Lord came to be in the world of men.

Folktale
The Boy, child of Lord of the Sun, was teased by other children because he has no father. The Boy decides to find his father. He met several people along the way as he journeyed to find his father. The Arrow Maker transformed the Boy into an arrow and shot him to the sun. When he met his

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father here, his father told him he had to prove himself. The Boy passed through the four chambers of ceremony and was then transformed and filled with the power of the sun. The Boy returned to earth and his people celebraed with the Dance of Life.
The illustrations in this Caldecott award-winning book perfectly portray the look of Pueblo Indian art and explain the respect Native American people have for the sun. This boys journey reflects the Native American culture of their people having to prove their worthiness and capability of coming of age.
In the classroom, this book would be perfect for studying Native American culture, legends, and art.

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This story by McDermott shares the creation myth of the Pueblo people and how fire/light came to Earth. The illustrations are simple collage or colored pencils, maybe.

The bold illustrations of this traditional tale reinforce the adventure of the boy and the challenges he must face to be worthy of his status. Revealing about the culture of the Pueblo tribe, this book also encourages reflection on age and what maturing and responsibility really mean.

Personal Response:
I like that the illustrations are based off Pueblo art and the common hero elements in the story: hero sets off on a quest to find out who he is, hero endures a series of trials, hero triumphs in the end.

Curricular Connections:
I would use this story as part of a story time on

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heroes from around the world.

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I had never heard this story before and I enjoyed the telling and the stylized geometric artwork.

Unlike most story picture books, this one uses strong bold shapes and colors to make it’s pictures, even the humans are made of geometric shapes. These shapes and drawings bring in a true sense of Native American culture and beliefs. This story is about a boy who is in search of his father who he

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was made fun of for not having one. Fantasy is extremely present as the boy becomes an arrow and his father is the sun. Some pages are absent of words, but the illustration does a great job depicting the scene.

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Summary:
Arrow to the Sun is about a boy who wanted to find his father. After leaving his mother, he found his father who made the boy prove himself by passing through four chambers of ceremony. He went back to his mother as a man.

Personal Summary:
My reaction is that I understand not belonging to a

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group of peers because of differences. I understand how hard it is not belonging and how hard it is to be accepted.

Classroom Extension Ideas:
1. This story could be included in an ethnic week. Ethnic week could be learning about other ethnic groups. The week could include foods, clothing, language or life styles.
2. Each student could write a report about themselves and their families and then share the reports in class. This activity will give each student a chance to introduce themselves and learn about their class mates.

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