Scan barcode
rdyourbookcase's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. One page was hard to read because the font was yellow and the background was gray. But overall, I enjoyed the illustrations and the story.
mat_tobin's review
5.0
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.
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.
djlanatron's review
5.0
Tonatiuh is consistently one of my favorite children's picture book author/illustrators. As usually, his unique artistic style is a winner!
kellyjcm's review
5.0
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.
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.
sannos's review
adventurous
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
abigailbat's review
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.