When lizard discovers a rock lowing with an inner light, she tells the emperor and they awaken the sleeping sun it returns to the sky, shedding light and warmth on all the earth. For days the anxious people wait for the sun to return, but it does not. “Once in ancient Mexico, the sun disappeared. English and Spanish texts appear on each spread of this pleasant tale, diluted only by the several journeys of the lizard between rock and city, and the sun’s prolonged resistance to waking up. So the entertainment is arranged, and all ends well, with the inauguration of an annual feast. The emperor comes to the rock with a woodpecker, and its beak splits the rock open, revealing a sleeping sun, who drowsily agrees to return to the sky if the emperor will provide the liveliest musicians and dancers. He tells her to move the rock, which she attempts, but the rock won’t budge–once more, she’s off to the city. Animals and birds search for it, and fail only the lizard continues, finding a strangely glowing rock and rushing off to the city to tell the emperor. A first-person introduction explains natural absences of the sun (behind the clouds, etc.), and prepares readers for a time, long ago, when the sun disappeared for no reason. Kirkus ReviewsĪda ( Mediopollito/Half-Chicken, 1995, etc.) elongates a Mexican folktale about a tenacious lizard who won’t stop looking for the sun when it disappears Dávalos creates a series of half-lit, blue-toned spreads that evoke the world of the Aztec empire. Readers will cheer Lizard as she finds the Earth’s source of light and warmth. In addition, the use of musical instruments such as drums reinforces Indian culture. The colorful double-page illustrations evoke the native culture by featuring characters in their decorated tunics and headdresses. The story emphasizes the importance of the sun to all living creatures. Her faith and perseverance is rewarded when the celestial body is found sleeping under a rock. After searching high and low, they give up, except for Lizard. Various animals set off to look for it in such places as rivers, lakes, the jungle, and even in the cone of a volcano. When the sun does not appear for several days in a row, everyone becomes anxious. Kindergarten-Grade 3: A bilingual (English/Spanish) retelling of a Mexican folktale. And his wonderful illustrations reflect his art and his knowledge. As an archaeologist he knows a great deal about the time and setting of this story. What a gift to have had Felipe Dávalos create the art for this story! Felipe Dávalos is a great artist and also a learned scholar. Since that day, all lizards love to lie in the sun, to remember the day when one of their own brought light and warmth back to the world. Then the emperor organized a great feast, with the finest dancers and musicians, so the sun would wake up and never fall asleep again. But no one could persuade the sun to wake up. Finally one day she found a strange glowing rock and discovered the sun fast asleep. Little by little all the animals gave up, except for the faithful lizard. All the animals went to search for the sun in the rivers and lakes, through the fields and forests, but the sun was nowhere to be found. Once, a long, long time ago, the sun disappeared from the sky. Gold Medal, Folklore Category, NAPPA – National Parenting Publications Association BOOK DESCRIPTION English Translation by Rosalma Zubizarreta A Mexican Folktale in a Bilingual Format
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