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272nd out of 513 books
—
1,261 voters
Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest
Raven, the trickster, wants to give people the gift of light. But can he find out where Sky Chief keeps it? And if he does, will he be able to escape without being discovered? His dream seems impossible, but if anyone can find a way to bring light to the world, wise and clever Raven can!
Paperback, 32 pages
Published
September 1st 2001
by Sandpiper
(first published April 30th 1993)
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Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest definitely suites the title for this story. In this story, a Raven flies back and sees that the world is dark and cold. In order to retrieve the sun, he transforms himself as a pine straw. Upon the transformation, the Sky Chief's daughter swallows him while she was drinking some water. Later on, she gives birth to a child. That child is the Raven. He tricks the elders, the Sky Chief, and the daughter to allow him to see the sun. He steals the su...more
Raven is a folklore story from the Pacific Northwest. It is a Caldecott Honor Book award winner. It is targeted for primary and intermediate aged children. It is a story about a bird who lived in a world of darkness. He saw light far away in the sky chief's house. He went to the house and changed into a pin needle. The chief's daughter drank the pin needle and became pregnant. The baby boy was actually the Raven. The Raven finally stole the light, which was the sun, and took it back into the sky...more
In a note at the beginning of this book, Gerald McDermott explains that the Raven is a trickster figure who appears in many Native American stories from the Pacific Northwest. Raven can both be a terrible mischief-maker and a benevolent guardian of humankind. His prominence in Native American culture also is reflected in how often his image appears in visual art like totem poles and jewelry. Both sides of Raven are included in this retelling of how Raven brings humankind light; he steals it from...more
I never read this as a child, but I have enjoyed reading it many times as an adult. One of the challenges we face when reviewing books that have a multicultural theme is differentiating between the authentic tale and the many retellings or interpretations of that original tale. Although this book is Gerald McDermott's retelling of the myth about the raven who brought sunlight to people in the Pacific Northwest, it is still an excellent book to read to preschool-aged children or older. Not all ch...more
Crows and ravens are venerated birds in the stories and legends of Native American tribes of the Pacific Northwest. They are considered to be light-bringers to this often dark and grey region, so in other words, extremely important animals! These birds are ever present here, and they really seem to have an esteemed place in the non-Native culture of this region, too. It seems like everyone here has at least a few good crow/raven stories, and these birds figure prominently in serious academic stu...more
Questions asked to pen pal:
Did you enjoy Raven? Have you heard of the legend of Raven before reading this book? I had not. I really liked the pictures of Raven in the book. I think he looked like he came from a totem pole. I also liked how he could change into a pine needle and a little boy. I have read other stories about how light was brought to the people on earth. In one, the bird in the story is a crow. The story says that Crows used to be white. But this Crow took the light of the sun to g...more
Did you enjoy Raven? Have you heard of the legend of Raven before reading this book? I had not. I really liked the pictures of Raven in the book. I think he looked like he came from a totem pole. I also liked how he could change into a pine needle and a little boy. I have read other stories about how light was brought to the people on earth. In one, the bird in the story is a crow. The story says that Crows used to be white. But this Crow took the light of the sun to g...more
Raven is a folkloric creation tale with Raven beint the central character. The story uses several traditional Native American storytelling elements including Ravens ability to change into different forms. Also the description of how the world came to be in the form it is through Native interpretation; in this case how light came to be. There is a sharp contrast between the stylized geometrically patterned form of Raven and the freely composed watercolor depictions of the northern panoramic vista...more
Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest is the tale of how the sun came to be in the sky to give light to all the people of the world. The tale says that Raven looked for light, found where it came from, and managed to turn itself into the baby of a person who lived in the house with the light, so that he could steal the light and give it to all of the people.
The artwork accompanies the text very nicely. The artwork would not suffice to tell the story alone, but it helps create imag...more
The artwork accompanies the text very nicely. The artwork would not suffice to tell the story alone, but it helps create imag...more
A Trickster acts as a champion for early humans:
"Raven came.
"All the world was in darkness.
"The sky above was in darkness.
"The waters below were in darkness.
"Men and women lived in the dark and cold.
"Raven was sad for them.
"He said, 'I will search for light.'"
Raven infiltrates the family of Sky Chief in order to steal the sun.
"[Raven] saw a beautiful young girl emerge from the shining house and go to the edge of the water.
"She was the Sky Chief's daughter. She knelt and drank some water from a w...more
"Raven came.
"All the world was in darkness.
"The sky above was in darkness.
"The waters below were in darkness.
"Men and women lived in the dark and cold.
"Raven was sad for them.
"He said, 'I will search for light.'"
Raven infiltrates the family of Sky Chief in order to steal the sun.
"[Raven] saw a beautiful young girl emerge from the shining house and go to the edge of the water.
"She was the Sky Chief's daughter. She knelt and drank some water from a w...more
Summary: Raven is sad that the world is dark and decides to go on a journey to bring the world light. He finds it at Sky Chief's house and changes to a pine needle to have Sky Chief's daughter swallow him. Sky Chief's daughter gives birth to Raven as a little boy. Raven wants to play with a box that is glowing, which holds the sun. Sky Chief and Raven's "mother" lovingly let him play with the ball that is the sun, after which Raven turns back into a bird and steals the sun, throwing it into the...more
Published in 2001 by Voyager Books
Interest Level: 3rd-5th Grade
This was a trickster tale where a raven is immaculately conceived as a boy and finds the sun; he then returns to the form of a raven and gives the sun to the whole earth. This was not my favorite trickster tale and even though there were many Native American elements in the illustrations the story was somewhat strange. The immaculate conception through a pine needle was not what I was expecting, and the strange story continued to pu...more
Interest Level: 3rd-5th Grade
This was a trickster tale where a raven is immaculately conceived as a boy and finds the sun; he then returns to the form of a raven and gives the sun to the whole earth. This was not my favorite trickster tale and even though there were many Native American elements in the illustrations the story was somewhat strange. The immaculate conception through a pine needle was not what I was expecting, and the strange story continued to pu...more
The story of the Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest, written and illustrated by Gerald McDermott, tells the tale of the Native American culture of the Pacific Northwest. The story follows a clever raven, searching for the sun to bring from the Sky Chief to all the people of the land. He finds the sun in the most unique way.
'Raven came.
All the world was in darkness.
The sky above was in darkness.
The waters below were in darkness.
Men and women lived in dark and cold.
Raven was sad f...more
'Raven came.
All the world was in darkness.
The sky above was in darkness.
The waters below were in darkness.
Men and women lived in dark and cold.
Raven was sad f...more
I read this book in elementary school, and remember loving the illustrations. After reading it again, I still enjoy the pictures, but I think that the story does not contain all that great of a plot. Raven manages to become the child of the Sky Chief's daughter and tricks him into giving Raven light to share with the world. This is a Native American folktale about how the sun came to be, but I did not dislike the Sky Chief but rather Raven for tricking the man and his daughter. This is my adult...more
Feb 19, 2013
Tatiana
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
childrens-multicultural
Raven, the Native American trickster, feels sorry for those who must live in darkness, and he decides to help. Raven flies over mountains, valleys, and lakes to discover that light is being kept hidden inside the house of the Sky Chief. Using his cleverness, Raven is reborn as the Sky Chief’s grandchild and uses his access to bring light to the world. The people fed Raven fish to thank him for giving them light.
I remember reading this book as a young child. During that time, I lived in the Pacif...more
I remember reading this book as a young child. During that time, I lived in the Pacif...more
The illustrations presented in this book are done with a balance of colored pencil and pastel on a thick, heavy watercolor paper. This allowed for a very unique texture within the book. By having watercolor paper with colored pencil, the background images were softer and more blended. Then the pastel color was used on the direct object of focus allows for a sharp image in which the reader’s eye is drawn towards. The blend of colors in the background and the boldness of the pastels allow for this...more
Caldecott Honor (1994)
Grade Range K-4
An interesting tale of how the sun came to be. At first the world lived in darkness. Then the raven came along and transformed himself into a pine needle which the sky chief's daughter then drank. She then gave birth to the raven in the form of a baby boy. The baby was fascinated with a glowing box which contained a yellow glowing ball. Delighted with the baby, the sky chief demanded that the ball be given to the baby. Once the baby had the ball, he turned b...more
Grade Range K-4
An interesting tale of how the sun came to be. At first the world lived in darkness. Then the raven came along and transformed himself into a pine needle which the sky chief's daughter then drank. She then gave birth to the raven in the form of a baby boy. The baby was fascinated with a glowing box which contained a yellow glowing ball. Delighted with the baby, the sky chief demanded that the ball be given to the baby. Once the baby had the ball, he turned b...more
After reading this book, I can see a lot of similarities between it and the other Gerald McDermott book that I read, "Anansi the Spider." In "Anansi the Spider," the story was about the creation and finding of the moon, and the story in "Raven" was about the finding and sharing of the sun with the world. I liked how the raven transformed between numerous things throughout the story - from the raven, to the pine needle, to the baby, then back to the raven. These constant changes kept my attention...more
If your kids or students are interested in folktale and story telling, this would be a great book for them. It talks about a brave hero that takes an act for the whole nation. He is wise and he has tricks, but he saves the whole nation with his blessings. We don't often have folktales books in school, but I believe they actually teach good lessons and they're quite creative. I believe more of these books should be more than just given in school, but read to and discussed about.
My first impression is of the differences in texture. McDermott uses watercolors in the beginning to illustrate a world without the sun. Rave uses bold, defining colors. I enjoy McDermott’s talent of incorporating Native American symbols into his art without it being overbearing. As the story progressed, the illustrations changed and created a different mood. The last page combines both textures and allows for a satisfying end.
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Age of readership: Ages 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Diversity: Cultural/General Fiction
Illustrations: Color Paintings.
My response to the book: It was interesting to learn about the concept of the "Raven" and what it symbolizes in Native American folklore or tradition. I thought it was colorful and sweet.
Genre: Picture Book
Diversity: Cultural/General Fiction
Illustrations: Color Paintings.
My response to the book: It was interesting to learn about the concept of the "Raven" and what it symbolizes in Native American folklore or tradition. I thought it was colorful and sweet.
Jan 25, 2012
Becca_moeller
added it
this was a really sweet story telling how the sun got into the sky. i really enjoyed the pictures in the book as well because they really made you feel the brightness as they described it. this is deffinitely something i would share with my future classroom one day becase it tells such a peaceful story.
Sep 09, 2012
Paul
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
caldecott,
childrens-lit
McDermott successfully brings this traditional native story to life. His visual creation of this little world (both the darkened world and the hidden light kept by the Sky Chief) is very affecting, with the relatively realistic population of the house of Sky Chief and the very stylized raven.
Grade/Interest Level: K-2
Gerald McDermott uses poetic language and bold illustrations to retell this Native American trickster tale of how sunlight was brought to earth by the cunning hero, Raven. The simple text makes this story accessible for beginning readers.
Gerald McDermott uses poetic language and bold illustrations to retell this Native American trickster tale of how sunlight was brought to earth by the cunning hero, Raven. The simple text makes this story accessible for beginning readers.
I really liked this book. It is a Native American culture book and the illustration reflected the Native American style. The pictures were block style and very bold and colorful. The story is clever and fun to read and has a great message about trickery and how being deceitful can lead to undesirable consequences.
Nov 18, 2010
Dolly
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
parents reading with their children
This is a fascinating folktale that talks about how humans got light in the world. It has interesting illustrations and a simple enough narrative that most children can understand and enjoy.
Wow! The story of how Raven disguises himself as a pine needle to be reborn a boy child so that he may steal the sun from the Sky Chief to the light the world for all mankind. This is a beautiful story and the illustrations really make it shine. Great read aloud with a mid to upper elementary school crowd.
This was a winter solstice gift to some children in my church, and a great one at that! A mythical tale about how the sun came to be--seems Native American of some sort.
GR Level: J
NOT AVAILABLE
This is a story of Raven from the Pacific Northwest. It is the story about how Raven brought light to the people.
NOT AVAILABLE
This is a story of Raven from the Pacific Northwest. It is the story about how Raven brought light to the people.
Works well as read aloud for older elementary students. Ties to curriculum: grade 3 (trickster tales) and grade 4 (Pourquo tales).
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Gerald McDermott is an award-winning children’s book illustrator and an expert on mythology. His work often combines bright colors and styles with ancient imagery.
He has created more than 25 books and animated films. His first book, Anansi the Spider, was awarded a Caldecott Honor, and he’s since won the Caldecott Medal for Arrow to the Sun and another Caldecott Honor.
More about Gerald McDermott...
He has created more than 25 books and animated films. His first book, Anansi the Spider, was awarded a Caldecott Honor, and he’s since won the Caldecott Medal for Arrow to the Sun and another Caldecott Honor.
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Oct 28, 2010 10:28am