The Flame of Peace : A Tale of the Aztecs

To prevent the outbreak of war, a young Aztec boy must outwit nine evil lords of the night to obtain the flame of peace from Lord Morning Star

Grade 2-4 Intellectually and graphically brilliant illustrations complement the tale of Two Flint, an Aztec boy who seeks new fire for the temples of Tenochtitlan. War among cities is imminent unless temple fires are renewed with flame from Lord Morning Star, but to reach Lord Morning Star, Two Flint must outwit nine evil demons. Two Flint succeeds, and when he brings Lord Morning Star's gift of new fire back to Tenochtitlan, warring warriors break their spears and become friends. Done in the Aztec mode of pictorial representation found today in remnant Aztec paintings and sculpture, the intensely colorful illustrations stun the eye and demand interpretation. A glossary of pictorial details is printed on the endpapers, and matching these with similar details in the illustrations is an enlightening and satisfying experience that enlarges understanding and appreciation of the Aztec world. A few of these details appear in Barbara Cooney's western-tradition illustrations for John Bierhorst's translation of the Aztec tale Spirit Child: a Story of the Nativity (Morrow, 1984), but these two outstanding picture books are wholly different in concept and execution. George Gleason, Department of English, Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.