Serpiente emplumada y los cinco soles: Un Mito Mesoamericano / Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns: a Mesoamerican Creation Myth

by Duncan Tonatiuh

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 Quetzalcóatl―the Feathered Serpent―who embarked on the dangerous quest to create humankind. Award-winning author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh brings to life this retelling of the myth of Feathered Serpent, one of the most important deities in ancient Mesoamerica.

Genres: Picture Books, Mythology, Nonfiction, Latinx, Indigenous, Folklore, Childrens

40 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2020

About the author

I was born in Mexico City and grew up in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. I received my BFA from Parsons School of Design and my BA from Eugene Lang College, both of them divisions of the New School University in New York City.

My first picture book "Dear Primo, a letter to my cousin" is published by H N Abrams and will be in stores March 1st, 2010.

My illustrations of the AH1N1 in Mexico were selected to be a part of CONACULTA's catalog of Mexican illustrators for children and young adults. They also appeared in the BBC when the pandemic broke out.

My short graphic novel Journey of a Mixteco was awarded the prize for the best thesis in the Integrated Design Curriculum department at Parsons. It appeared serially in the webcomix site topshelfcomix 2.0

I'm currently working on two new picture books. And I regularly upload new illustrations about current events to my blog.

Reviews

[Zoraida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review for Shelf Awareness. Loved it! Such beautiful art.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mexican picture-book author and artist Duncan Tonatiuh delivers another fascinating Aztec myth, following upon his earlier The Princess and the Warrior: A Tale of Two Volcanoes . That story told how the twin volcanos outside of Mexico City came to be, but here we learn about the five suns, and how humans were created. Having created humans four times, with little success - each incarnation of human had some flaw, and was transformed into something else, from mountains to fish, monkeys to birds - the gods grew weary of the project. Only Quetzalcóatl, the Feathered Serpent and the god of knowledge, wanted to continue. But to do this, he had to retrieve the human bones given to Mictlantecuhtli, the god of the underworld. Traveling to Mictlan, Quetzalcóatl had to traverse nine different levels of the underworld, each with its own danger, confronting Mictlantecuhtli at the end, and meeting his final challenge. Eventually successful in escaping with the bones, he then created a new king of human, mixed from the bone dust of previous humans, and divine blood. From that fifth and final creation, came the human beings of today...

As Tonatiuh makes plain in his afterword to Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns: A Mesoamerican Creation Myth, this story and its hero can be found in the belief systems of many Mesoamerican cultures, including the Toltecs, Mayan and Aztecs. This particularly retelling uses Nahuatl (Aztec) names and words, many of them glossed at the rear of the book. It is a fascinating story, and reminded me of similar creation myths I have encountered, from other cultures around the globe. The idea of the underworld, which one reaches by (among other things) crossing a great river, or the idea of a great and terrible dog guarding that world, are both themes I have seen in Greek and other mythologies. The idea of different races of humankind being created before our own is also one I have seen elsewhere, particularly in ancient Greek culture (the myth of the golden men, then the silver men, etc), and the idea of previous worlds before our own is also not uncommon. Finding these kinds of parallels is fascinating for me, as someone who loves folklore and mythology, but the story here was also just interesting, in its own right. The accompanying artwork, drawn and then enhanced digitally, was quite attention-grabbing, and is well-suited, stylistically speaking to the story. All in all, an engaging retelling of a fascinating creation myth, one I would recommend to picture-book readers who enjoy such fare, as well as to anyone interested in Aztec or other Mesoamerican civilizations and cultures.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent telling of a Mesoamerican creation myth with Tonatiuh signature illustration style. Highlt recommended for adding to folklore collections.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duncan Tonatiuh retells the Mesoamerican creation myth of how the gods got frustrated with their first four tries at making humans and gave up, but then Feathered Serpent went on a quest to give it one more try.

If you are going to be reading this out loud I highly suggest flipping to the back of the book and studying the glossary so you aren't sitting in front of kids trying to figure out how to pronounce Mictlantecuhtli and Xótotl and Teyollocualóyan (and several more things) on the fly. Kids should enjoy the epic quest elements of the book. It's a more exciting myth from Mesoamerica. Tonatiuh has a very interesting note in the back of the book with more info on the history of this tale that I recommend reading. Recommended to those studying ancient cultures and world myths, and those who like epic quest tales.

[Alana "Loni" · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tonatiuh is consistently one of my favorite children's picture book author/illustrators. As usually, his unique artistic style is a winner!

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Abby Johnson]

With his signature art, Duncan Tonatiuh documents the Mesoamerican creation myth of the feathered god Quetzalcoatl, part of indigenous Mexican religion that colonizers attempted to destroy.

[Jody Kyburz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Duncan's work and although this particular myth didn't resonate with me as much as his other work, I admire the diversity of genres in which he writes. Illustrations are INCREDIBLE!

[Regine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Striking.

[Laurence Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duncan Tonatiuh adds his artistic style to a classic mesoamerican myth. His slight adaptation of the story makes it accessible to people of all ages to engage in mesoamerican mythology. This book is kept simple and focuses on the journey of the Feathered Serpent whilst touching on the fact that everyone needs to work together in order to achieve the end goal. This touches on his other texts about everyone being equal.

The difficult traditional mesoamerican names for the gods and locations adds authenticity to the story and helps to engage the reader with the traditional myth. Thankfully the glossary at the back of the book helps the reader in being able to attempt the somewhat diffult names, whilst also providing small pockets of information for the reader.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was interesting that the author's last name, tonatiuh, also means sun or sun god in the Nahuatl language. This myth tells how after 4 attempts, the gods decided not to try to make any more humans. But the Feathered Serpent was not ready to give up. He faced many obstaclesn on his journey to the underworld to reclaim the human bones. After overcoming more obstacles, the Feathered Serpent brought the bones to the gods' dwelling place, and this time successfully made more humans. The book is illustrated throughout by Tonatiuh's folklore-style artwork. The book concludes with an author's note on sources of the story, a glossary, and a bibliography.

[Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, Duncan Tonatiuh is on point! I've always admired his gorgeous trademark art style and the illustrations in this book are no exception. He brings to life this Mesoamerican creation story into a book appropriate for children as young as 6 years old, opening the door to more culturally diverse mythologies besides the ever-popular western representations that most people are familiar with.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An ancient Mesoamerican creation myth rendered in a dramatic, gripping narrative and Tonatiuh's distinctive illustrations.

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 5 out of 5]

A myth of the creation of humans, as told from the Mesoamerican culture.

The gods tried - and failed - four times (referred to as "suns" or "tonatiuh") to create humans using sacred bones. Giving up, they gave the sacred bones to Mictantecihtli (the lord of the underworld) for safekeeping. The god Quetzalcoatl (or Feathered Serpent) was determined to travel to the underworld to retrieve the sacred bones and try one more time to create humans. He passes through nine challenges successfully and asks Mictantecihtli for the sacred bones to bring humans to life. He is given one more challenge: to make music using a conch shell. Feathered Serpent wisely notices no hole in the shell, so he picks up some worms from the ground, who drill a hole in the shell fo him. He falls into a dark pit as he tries to escape with the sacred bones, braking them all. Once home with the other gods, he grinds the bones into a powder and each god donates some of their blood, to be mixed with the bone powder. Humanity as we know it is created from this mixture.

Well-told, this story is enriched with Tonatiuh's signature earth-toned, hand-drawn and digitally collaged artwork. As his art style is grounded in this culture it enriches our appreciation of the culture so well. Tonatiuh is brilliant in his choice and use of color (for example, Mictantecihtli is surrounded by blackness and his underground world is in black and white). He makes excellent use of patterns (ex. fish in river, the gods walking away, the flowing rives), the balance of composition (see the 2-page spread of the father serpent's escape attempt), emotion (see the feather serpent's eyes on this same spread), and symmetry (the gods adding their blood to the powdered bones).

Be sure to check out the secret cover, as it is different from the jacket! As you "dig into" the book, the endsheets show the large number of earthworms in the rich soil underground. Tonatiuh includes an author's note in the back, explaining the story's importance in the culture, variants, and why he chose to tell it this way. Also included is a pronunciation guide and definitions for names and words in Nahuatl within the text.

A minor quibble. Text printed in yellow ink on light brown is very difficult to read for those who may have visual disabilities. A higher contrast ink would be preferred.

Also included is a pronunciation guide and definitions for names and words in Nahuatl within the text. Finally there is a selected bibliography of adult materials.

Highly recommended for folklore collections, it is a must for those seeking stories of Mesoamerican history. Simply stunning! For grades 3-8.

[Cameryn Olesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book on the Texas State website under the Tomas Rivera Book Award, as the 2021 Winner for Young Readers. I loved this story, it was so cool! It begins by describing how the gods tried to create humans. The first time they were too big and turned into mountains and the second time, they were made with mud, which slid right off and they turned into fished. Then, they used corn paste instead of mud, they were the right size but not cooperative, so they were turned into monkeys. Next, the gods created humans with corn paste and hearts, but were lazy, so the gods turned them into birds. After this, the gods were tired of trying to create humans. However, the Feathered Serpent, or the god of knowledge, did not want to give up. Feathered Serpent came across a dog spirit who acted as his guide to the underworld. They had to get through many regions to get to the underworld, which consisted of water, mountains, snow, rain, mountains, jaguars, and reptiles. They finally reach the underworld and have to pass a test to get the bones from the god of the underworld. The god of the underworld did not want the Feathered Serpent to get out of the underworld and badly injured him, and Feathered Serpent thought he was done for. Then, Feathered Serpent made humans again with the bones and with the blood of the gods. Legend has it that we are the descendants of the humans made by the Feathered Serpent. This deeply engaging and complex story is accompanied by wonderful illustrations. The story keeps the reader wondering and wanting to turn the page. I could use this in my classroom to teach my students about Mesoamerican history, culture, and beliefs. I think that students would find this story just as compelling and interesting as I did!

[Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Mesoamerican creation myth which tells the story of how humans were born into the world, the Feathered Serpent is a beautiful, respectful and as-authentic-as-are-probably-going-to-get retelling of the ancient traditional tale.

The picturebook opens with the four sun gods (tonatiuhs) trying various ways of creating humans with different materials, from mud and scared bones to corn paste but to no success. All the gods abandon the mission except for Quetzalcóatl, the Feathered Serpent, who seeks to retrieve the sacred bones bestowed to Mictlantecuhtli, the god of the underworld. In his descent into Mictlán, Quetzalcóatl, with his staff, cloak, shield, shell and canine spirit guide, Xólotl, must overcome various obstacles using his wit and magical items until he reaches his destination.

Utterly beautiful in terms of presentation, this is a Mesoamerican myth brought to life like no other. Stylistically, Tonatiuh honours the motifs and icons of his ancestors without ever feeling gimmicky or tokenistic; these are rich in cartoon-like life and powered by traditional symbols and colour. The narrative itself is well pitched and reads like a myth too - sparse in the details and taking us through the actions and reflections.

The picturebook closes with an extensive author's note, glossary and useful selected bibliography which shows the care and time Tonatiuh put into ensuring his story was as close to the sources as possible.

[Alex Fava · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns: A Mesopotamian Creation Myth is written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh. This is a children’s folklore story intended for children ages five to nine years old. While this story has complex terminology, it helps introduce young children to traditions that are not ordinarily told. In this story, Tonatiuh seeks to explain the origin of human beings and how mankind was made after five suns. After four unsuccessful times of making humans, the Feathered Serpent takes a long and difficult journey to the god of the underworld to take the sacred human bones to create humans another time. I rated this story a 4/5 because of its originality and purpose. Tonatiuh explains that his intention for this story is to "celebrate the mythology of Mesoamerica and to introduce young readers to this rich tradition." While this story takes a significant amount of focus and reading comprehension, I appreciate the original storyline. Tonatiuh provides a very helpful glossary and author's note at the end, which personally helped me articulate and make sense of the reading. I think this would be an extremely challenging read for novice readers, but it is a great story to get exposed to different traditions and myths.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Striking hand-drawn illustrations that have been digitally collaged complement the story of how humans were created. Although many readers will be familiar with other creation stories, this one will be less familiar but nevertheless important. After the gods of Mesoamerica try and fail to create humans, Feathered Serpent (Quetzalcotl) remains determined to succeed. But he faces enormous challenges, and must first travel to the Underworld to gather the sacred bones at great risk to himself. The narrative follows each step of his journey, culminating in his pounding the bones to dust and adding his blood to the material in order to give life to humans. This myth is told with respect, excitement, and suspense, and is certainly worth reading and adding to a classroom collection for its cultural value as well as material for students interested in comparing origin tales from many lands. It's also an excellent addition to Duncan Tonatiuh's already impressive work.

[Caylee King · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Cuauhtitlan tale of the five suns is beautifully told and illustrated! It speaks of the gods using differing materials to try to make humans, which in turn makes various types of things like mountains, fish, and birds. Seeing the adventure of the Feathered Serpent god to try to perfect humans was inspiring and insightful. What all obstacles will he face? Will he receive help along his journey?

In the classroom you could use this book in many ways. It would be a great introduction to Mexican heritage/culture/tales. You could use this a comparative activity, showing how other cultures/ancient civilizations view creation of humans (for example this is very similar to the Native Americans). You could also have students come up with their own story and illustrate it in a similar way. What type of companion would they chose to have with them? If they were one of the gods, what materials would they try use?

[Lauren Avery · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHOA! I picked this title up from the library and was reading it to my daughter last night. There are some WICKED hard words to pronounce due to the Aztec-based vocabulary. I think that the Duncan Tonatiuh would NOT appreciate my butchering of the cultural words. Thank goodness for the glossary at the end of the book with the pronunciation keys. I'm still struggling with Mictlantecuhtli (god of the dead) and xoloitzcuintli.

All hard pronounciation aside, it did have an interesting story and my daughter really enjoyed it. I loved the author's note at the end with the history lesson and it's no wonder why this author has won the Robert F. Silbert medal. So informative and he does his research in order to bring a tale to life.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find creation myths fascinating. Pair that with the fact that I love everything Duncan Tonatluh writes and illustrates and I anticipated enjoying this book. Which I did! All the other gods give up on creating humans after a series of failures except for Quetzalcoatl (aka the feathered serpent). He ventures into the Underground to collect the sacred bones that are needed and - in the process - discovers the secret to creating humans. Tonatluh includes some background information at the end of the book plus an excellent pronunciation guide and a bibliography. I definitely learned new things by reading this! Bonus - If your kids enjoy reading mythology based fantasy - such as the Storm Runner series by J. C. Cervantes - this would be an excellent book for them to read.

[Marisa Duarte · Rating 5 out of 5]

An artistic rendering for children of the Nahuatl myth of Quetzalcoatl and the origin of human beings in the Fifth Sun. I find this version helpful for teaching my child about Quetzalcoatl, Xolotl, Mictlan, and the concept of the suns, or eras, that predicate the more contemporary myths and legends of different Indigenous peoples of the Americas. The illustrations are layered with meaning such that my child is able to make connections around concepts like peoples of the corn, the relationship between the salamander axolotl and the transforming spirit dog Xolotl, and the significance of obsidian.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like mythology from central American doesn't get spotlighted as often as it should, and this was an awesome addition to the shelf. Tonatiuh's illustrations are simultaneously kid-friendly while paying homage to the cultures they represent. I really enjoyed this story of Quetzalcoatl's brave quest to create humans. This is definitely better suited to older children, as with most myths, there are elements of the story that make logical jumps and are hard to wrap your head around if you didn't grow up hearing these stories.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-done retelling of a complex world origin story from Mesoamerica. This fills a hole in the collection. We've got lots on Greek and Roman myths, this is for the Olmecs, Mixtecs, and Aztecs. Vivid artwork in Duncan Tonatiuh's distinctive Mesoamerican style absolutely fits the subject matter. The author's note at the end is excellent: did you know that Quetzalcoatl was both a God, and a historical king from the 10th century? Too bad the glossary doesn't come with an online pronunciation guide of the long and difficult-to-pronounce names!

[Tina Hoggatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterful retelling of a Mesoamerican creation myth, chock full of determination, daring, helpers, and cunning. The journey undertaken by the Feathered Serpent, bent on a last attempt to create People after several earlier attempts have resulted in fish, birds, and animals, is mysterious and thrilling. The author's illustrations nod to the source material imagery and the whole is a wonderful introduction to both the content and style of this mythology. A glossary in the back matter helps with pronunciation.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for the Mock Caldecott Awards voting in January. This tells the story of humans being created by the gods of Mesoamerica. All of the gods, except for Quetzalcoatl (Feathered Serpent) have given up trying to create humans after multiple failures. Feathered Serpent decides to pursue the god of the underworld to retrieve the sacred bones and try one more time. You'll be glad to know that there is a glossary at the end of the book to help with pronunciation. I love the illustrations.

[Cheriee Weichel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Mesoamerican creation myth tells the story of how Quetzalcóatl—the Feathered Serpent, went on a perilous journey to retrieve bones from the underworld and create humans. It's a fascinating tale that begins with four attempts to create humans. Each one ended up in failure until Quetzalcóatl got involved.
I appreciated the additional information in the back matter about the survival of this myth. Duncan Tonatiuh's art is stunning as usual.

[Gabriella Vivo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved that this book was a different kind of creation story than what most students will read. I did not read Native American creation stories but I highly recommend this book for anyone that wants to diversify their bookshelves as well as young children who want to be more culturally inclusive. The illustrations were very on point and were very colorful and eye catching. They added a lot to the story.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful picture book is another Mexican creation myth. It follows the creation of humans by Feathered Serpent, who must travel through the underworld to retrieve the human bones.

As is typical of Duncan Tonatiuh, the illustrations are excellent.

This book could be used to study creation myths. When I taught fifth grade we read a story about the fifth sun and this would tie in perfectly!

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

You just can't lose when reading one of Duncan Tonatiuh's books. As ever, the illustrations are stunning. I had not encountered this particular creation myth before, so found the story fascinating, as did Z&V.

I stumbled over the pronunciation of certain words, though the glossary in the back is super helpful. I would love to hear an audio version of this, so that the place names and people names are read as intended.