The Stolen Sun: A Story of Native Alaska - Hardcover

Hall, Amanda

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0802852254 ISBN 13: 9780802852250

Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2002

Synopsis

A native Alaskan folktale tells about a raven who punishes humans for destroying nature by blocking out the sun to make Earth cold and dark, but a woman finds a feather from the bird that may have the secret to saving the planet.

About this title

About the Author:

Amanda Hall studied illustration at Cambridge School of Art and started her career as a children's books illustrator in the late 1970s. Her books include The Barefoot Book of Animal Tales, written by Naomi Adler (Barefoot) and Robi Dobi, by Madhur Jaffery (Pavilion) which won the U.S. Parents' Choice Silver Award in 1997. Among her more recent publications are The Storytelling Star by James Riordan (Pavilion) and The Hard to Swallow Tale of Jonah and the Whale by Joyce Denham (Lion). The Stolen Sun is Amanda's first book for Frances Lincoln. Whereabouts: Cambridge

From Publishers Weekly:

Hall's (Sunday, Moonday) glorious illustrations redeem the meandering narrative in this tale of second chance. Angered when he sees humankind taking the fertile world for granted, Raven hides the sun. An opening spread of an idyllic village where people and animals lived peacefully side by side gives way to a succeeding spread of forest fires, men preying on whales and deer pursued by spears. Hall portrays icy hues of blue and violet blanketing the earth as Raven carries out his punishment, though the moon and stars never leave the sky. But Raven also leaves something behind: a single feather. When a woman swallows the feather, she gives birth to a magical boy who one day redeems the world by bringing back the sun. Though younger readers may lose track of the action or grow impatient for the denouement, the detailed pictures should hold their attention. Hall possesses the aesthetic sensibility of an accomplished muralist: her panoramic sense of space and elegantly stylized characterizations are ideal for conveying the heightened reality and incantatory pull of myth. At the same time, the meticulousness of her brushstrokes and the swooping, rolling shape of her lines and textures give the spreads an intimacy and dynamism. Ages 5-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0802852254
• ISBN 13: 9780802852250
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32