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Book Cover for: Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns: A Mesoamerican Creation Myth, Duncan Tonatiuh

Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns: A Mesoamerican Creation Myth

Duncan Tonatiuh

Award-winning author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh brings an ancient Mesoamerican creation myth to life in the picture book Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns.

Long ago, the gods of Mesoamerica set out to create humans. They tried many times during each sun, or age. When all their attempts failed and the gods grew tired, only one did not give up: Quetzalcóatl--the Feathered Serpent. To continue, he first had to retrieve the sacred bones of creation guarded by Mictlantecuhtli, lord of the underworld. Gathering his staff, shield, cloak, and shell ornament for good luck, Feathered Serpent embarked on the dangerous quest to create humankind.

Duncan Tonatiuh brings to life the story of Feathered Serpent, one of the most important deities in ancient Mesoamerica. With his instantly recognizable, acclaimed art style and grand storytelling, Tonatiuh recounts a thrilling creation tale of epic proportions.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
  • Publish Date: Sep 1st, 2020
  • Pages: 40
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 9.10in - 11.20in - 0.60in - 1.10lb
  • EAN: 9781419746772
  • Recommended age: 05-09
  • Categories: Places - Caribbean & Latin AmericaAction & Adventure - GeneralLegends, Myths, Fables - General

About the Author

Tonatiuh, Duncan: - Duncan Tonatiuh (toh-nah-tee-YOU) is an award-winning author-illustrator. He is both Mexican and American. He grew up in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and graduated from Parsons School of Design and Eugene Lang College in New York City. His artwork is inspired by pre-Columbian art. His aim is to create images and stories that honor the past but are relevant to today's people, especially children. His books include A Land of Books, Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns, and Separate Is Never Equal. He currently lives in San Miguel with his family but travels in the United States often.

More books by Duncan Tonatiuh

Book Cover for: Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation, Duncan Tonatiuh
Book Cover for: ¡Felicidades!: A Celebration with Shapes (a Picture Book), Duncan Tonatiuh
Book Cover for: ¡Fiesta!: A Festival of Colors, Duncan Tonatiuh
Book Cover for: La Princesa Y El Guerrero: Una Leyenda de DOS Volcanes (the Princess and the Warrior Spanish Edition), Duncan Tonatiuh
Book Cover for: Día de Muertos: Números: A Day of the Dead Counting Book, Duncan Tonatiuh
Book Cover for: Dear Primo: Una Carta Para Ti (Dear Primo Spanish Edition), Duncan Tonatiuh
Book Cover for: Danza!: Amalia Hernández and El Ballet Folklórico de México, Duncan Tonatiuh
Book Cover for: A Land of Books: Dreams of Young Mexihcah Word Painters, Duncan Tonatiuh
Book Cover for: Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras, Duncan Tonatiuh
Book Cover for: Separados No Somos Iguales: Sylvia Méndez Y La Lucha de Su Familia Por La Integración (Separate Is Never Equal Spanish Edition), Duncan Tonatiuh
Book Cover for: Diego Rivera: His World and Ours, Duncan Tonatiuh
Book Cover for: Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin, Duncan Tonatiuh
Book Cover for: Serpiente Emplumada Y Los Cinco Soles: Un Mito Mesoamericano, Duncan Tonatiuh
Book Cover for: Juego de Libertad: Mestre Bimba Y El Arte de la Capoeira (Game of Freedom Spanish Edition), Duncan Tonatiuh
Book Cover for: The Princess and the Warrior: A Tale of Two Volcanoes, Duncan Tonatiuh
Book Cover for: Game of Freedom: Mestre Bimba and the Art of Capoeira, Duncan Tonatiuh

Praise for this book

**STARRED REVIEW**
"While the tale itself will appeal to lovers of adventure and myth, the author's note adds an important historical and cultural depth that should not be bypassed. Feathered Serpent has all the literary elements of a good story and can be used to teach genre, narrative, history, or just quality literature."--Booklist
**STARRED REVIEW**
"Tonatiuh's familiar flat-perspective digitally collaged illustrations are particularly strong on the designerly element here, ranging from the playful. . .to the rhythmic elegance of the silhouetted fish and birds."--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
**STARRED REVIEW**
"Tonatiuh's illustration style draws on Nahua visual writing systems, emulating the symmetry, balanced lines, and prominent profile and aerial viewpoints found in Indigenous codices. . .reward[s] careful examination as textures pop and engage the viewer." --Horn Book Magazine
**STARRED REVIEW**
"Tonatiuh's artwork--familiar in form, electric in spirit--astonishes in this retelling of a Mesoamerican creation story. Told with succinct clarity and a hint of mischief, this rendition begs for rereads... Simply spellbinding." --Kirkus Reviews
**STARRED REVIEW**
"Hand-drawn, digitally collaged art, incorporating Mesoamerican styles and motifs, deepens the power of Tonatiuh's tale, a tantalizing slice of Mesoamerica's rich stories." --Publishers Weekly
"Modern touches and warm color palette make for vibrant, expressive spreads. Wondrous landscapes magnify Quetzalcóatl's formidable and heroic quest... With prose that is accessible and has the abiding quality of myth, Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns feels both classic and refreshing."--Shelf Awareness