Arrow to the Sun

Title: Arrow to the Sun
Author: Gerald McDermott
Genre: Multicultural Literature

Arrow to the Sun is a story about a boy who is sent to earth by the Lord of the Sun. The Lord of the Sun shoots an arrow down to earth into the home of a young maiden, who became his mother. As the boy grew up, he was ridiculed since he did not have a father. The boy vowed to find his father, and went to many people in the village asking for their help to find him. After being turned down by many villagers, the boy comes to the Arrow Maker. The Arrow Maker makes the boy into an arrow, and shoots him back up to the Sun where his father is. When the boy reaches the Sun and his father, the father tells the boy he must prove himself by going through a series of trials. The son completes all of the trials, and is transformed into a being filled with the power of the Sun. The father and the son rejoice, and the son is sent back to earth to spread the spirit of the Sun to the people. Upon his return, the people of the pueblo celebrated with the Dance of Life.
Arrow to the Sun provides an excellent opportunity for children to learn about Pueblo culture. The illustrations in this book are an excellent depiction of Native American art. After reading this book, a way to enhance student's knowledge of Native American art would be to have them research other patterns and styles that are common in Native American art, and allow them to create their own depiction of a story with the cultural art skills they have learned about.