From Publishers Weekly
Hoffman and Ray look to the heavens in this sparkling collection of myths and legends from around the world, a follow-up to their companion book Earth, Fire, Water, Air. Hoffman's colloquial tone whisks readers through a volume chockablock with captivating tales inspired by the wonders of science and the natural world. With examples from ancient Egypt and Julius Caesar's Rome, the beginning segment establishes the sky as storybook, map and calendar. Subsequent sections on sun, moon and stars combine lesser-known tales with those of Phaeton, who meets his death trying to drive his father's chariot of the sun across the sky; Caribbean trickster/spider man Anancy, who gives the moon to his children; and the "Circle of Beasts," a description of all 12 signs of the zodiac. Hoffman also provides brief, captionlike superstitions, sayings and traditions in spreads entitled "Sunlore," "Moonlore" and "Starlore." As accompaniment to a text spanning cultures, lands and histories, Ray offers a varied tapestry of dreamlike images that combine elements of fantasy with intricate folk art borders and motifs. For each passage, she sets a dramatically different stage, incorporating dazzling costumes and designs from Native American, Aztec and Japanese traditions, among others. Many of the paintings also glitter with flashes of gold or silver, befitting a book about the brightest lights of the sky. All ages.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6-In this splendid collaboration following Earth, Fire, Water, Air (Dutton, 1995), the author's lean style again complements the artist's lush one. More than 20 legends and myths from around the world surrounding the "appearance and movement of the sun, moon, and stars" are interspersed with bits of factual information and lore. Succinctly but resonantly retold, the stories show the sky as a blank screen on which every culture projects its imagination. There are Latvian, Aztec-Mayan, Korean, Hindu, and Australian-Aboriginal examples, as well as better-known Greek (Phaeton, Cassiopeia), Norse, English, and Japanese tales. A brief section "About the Stories" cites some very eclectic sources. The brilliant pictures, spattered with silver and gold, exactly suit the heavenly subjects. Ray adapts her signature style to suggest the artistic traditions of each story's cultural origin. Folklike frames, intricately patterned textiles, and naive compositions are both dense and accessible, and the depth and variety of hues are a delight. A more romantic or engaging introduction to myths of the cosmos could hardly be imagined.
Patricia Lothrop-Green, St. George's School, Newport, RICopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
