Coyote Places the Stars

Coyote Places the Stars

A joyfully retold and vibrantly illustrated story about the origin of the constellations, based on a Wasco Indian legend. One evening, crafty Coyote climbs the moon to discover the secrets of the heavens. Instead, he finds a way to make the most wonderful pictures for all the world to see. The next night, the other animals of the canyon look up to the sky, where they see a big surprise! Grade 1-5-Based on a Wasco Native American legend, this dramatically illustrated pourquoi tale explains the designs of the constellations. It is the curious coyote who decides to discover the secrets of the heavens by creating a ladder of arrows he shoots into the sky. Once in the heavens, he moves the stars around forming the shapes of his animal friends, and he calls them all together to enjoy his handiwork. The simple, quickly moving text is luminously illustrated with colorful border designs around some of the text as well as full-and double-page spreads of the constellations, Southwestern landscape, and animals, created by painting dyes on cotton fabric and detailing with the wax-resist batik method. This technique affords an effective white outline of important objects. The onomatopoetic language makes this a natural tale for classroom reading, but the artwork can be best appreciated by independent readers. Yvonne Frey, Peoria Public Schools, IL Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. Ages 5-7. In this Wasco Indian legend about the origin of the constellations, a clever coyote dreams big and confidently pursues his understanding of the heavens. First he builds a ladder to the moon. Then, being skilled with a bow, he shoots arrows at certain stars, moving them into the shapes of his animal friends. Finally, he returns to the desert to share his handiwork. The two settings--one in the heavens, featuring coyote arranging the sky; the other on land, featuring buffalo herds running across the plains, fish jumping in the stream, and an eagle flying over the mountains--glow with the rich colors of nighttime in the desert. Taylor's batik-and-dye paintings are a good match for the casual, playful rhythm of her retelling. Ultimately, her book pays tribute to a beautiful world. A good read-aloud choice. Source note appended. Kathryn Broderick Harriet Peck Taylor is an award-winning author, illustrator, and artist who lives in Boulder, Colorado. She received a BFA in Fine Art and a BA in Education from the University of Colorado in 1977. She began her career in fine art and continues to work as a professional artist. Her work is in public and private collections throughout the world. You can visit her at HarrietPeckTaylor.com.