Module 3 - Arrow to the Sun

Summary
Arrow to the Sun is based on the Pueblo Indian myth. It explains how the spirit of the Lord of the Sun comes into the world.  The son of the sun looks for his father.  The boy turns himself into an arrow to shoot up and find his father. Upon finding his father the boy is then tested in several ways.   

Impressions

At first the cover and the title of the book were not interesting to me.  Once I opened the book and started reading I found it enjoyable.  The illustrations are striking.  Very bright and eye catching which lend to the story. 

Reviews

McDermott's Arrow to the Sun is a graphic production of exceptional power and beauty. The geometrical design-motifs are unmistakably derived from Southwest Indian patterns and are highly stylized, but their abstract qualities have been personalized and come across as vital and dramatic. The narrative, based on a Pueblo Indian myth, is terse and straightforward, employing a vocabulary that, for the most part, is within the range of most schoolchildren, though not preschoolers. The story is about a boy conceived by an earthly maiden from a spark of life from the Lord of the Sun. The boy, ostracized because he has no father, goes in search of his progenitor. Standing at last in the presence of his divine father, the boy has to prove himself by undergoing a series of trials, which are essentially rites of initiation, though they are not so designated. Having survived lions, serpents, bees, and lightning, the youth is acknowledged by his solar father and, "filled with the power of the sun," returns to earth. His return to the pueblo is celebrated by the people in a Dance of Life.

Schneiderman, L.(1975). Arrow to the Sun, and: Songs of the Chippewa, and: Earth Namer, and: Baldur and the Mistletoe (review). Children's Literature 4(1), 196-198. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved January 21, 2013, from Project MUSE database.

Arrow to the Sun reflects this spiritual orientation in many ways. Generally, the boy, whose logo is a stylized cross-section of an ear of corn, lives in an arid land to which he brings life by supplying the rainbow, symbol of sun and rain. On nearly every page, the visual elements reflect the cultural processes by which he succeeds. The designs on the end-papers approximate the stylized rain clouds found throughout Pueblo design; the orange colors parallel the dry land; and not only the logo, but also the boy's hair style (which develops in the story) emphasize the centrality of corn; and finally the rainbow on which he dances signals the arrival of rain and therefore life for the people.

Stott, J. C.(1986). Joseph Campbell on the Second Mesa: Structure and Meaning in Arrow to the Sun. Children's Literature Association Quarterly 11(3), 132-134. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved January 21, 2013, from Project MUSE database.

Suggestions

This book is a good way to introduce Native American Myths to students and readers.  There is a lot of emphasis on Greek myths at the junior high level.  Even though this book is an easy reader it still could be used to introduce other myths to students.

There are a few pages with no words and the illustrations are outstanding. For young children, discussions could be held on what the picture is showing and how does this add to the story.

References

 

McDermott, G. (1977). Arrow to the sun, a Pueblo Indian tale. Puffin. 

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