Raven ~ Gerald McDermott (1993, Scholastic Inc.)

Summary: This story is about how Raven stole the sun gave it all of the people. Raven sees how sad all the people are in the dark and felt bad for them. He decided to go and look for light. He found light at the house of the Sky Chief. Raven saw the Sky Chief's daughter as she was drinking from the water. He turned into a pine needle and fell into the water. The Sky Chief's daughter drank the needle. Before long she had a baby, who was Raven reborn as a child. The baby was in search of the light. He moved toward a box and Sky Chief told his daughter to give him what was inside. It was the sun. Once Raven was holding the sun, he turned back into a bird and flew out the smoke hole. Raven then threw the sun into the sky and it stayed there. The sun was shared with all of the people and to thank him for bringing the light, they feed him fish. 


My Review: I think McDermott has done it again. He retold a trickster tale from the Pacific Northwest and did a wonderful job. Another great book to share with young readers at the same time exposing them to other cultures from around the world. 


About the Author: McDermott is a well-known author, illustrator, designer and director. He has helped to create over 25 books and films. He has been an artist since he was very young. At the age of 4 he was admitted to the Detroit Institute of Arts. He was award the National Scholastic scholarship and attended New York's Pratt Institute. He left school during his junior year to become the first graphic designer of Channel 13. He has written several well known books that have won Caldecott Honors and Caldecott Medals. 


Genre: Multicultural, Trickster Tale
Theme / Skill: Predicting what will happening throughout the story. 
Age Level: 5-10


Pre-reading Activity: Show the students a totem pole and explain the significance of the Raven. Read the story. 


Post-readig Activity: Find out what the other animals on the totem pole signify and have students draw a picture of (or color in) the one that best describes them. Assemble a classroom totem pole.