Arrow to the Sun
Arrow to the Sun is a 1973 short film and a 1974 book, both by Gerald McDermott. The book was printed in gouache and ink, Both media are a retelling of a Pueblo tale, specifically an Acoma Pueblo[1] tale, in which a mysterious boy seeks his father. In retelling the tale, some folklore scholars believe that the story has digressed from the spirit of the Acoma tradition.[2][3]
Plot
Long ago, the Lord of the Sun shoots down the spark of life into the Pueblo, where it reaches a young woman and causes her to give birth to an unnamed son, referred to as "the Boy". When the Boy reaches adolescence, he is ridiculed by the other boys because he has no father. Disheartened, the Boy decides to leave the Pueblo and find his father.
During his journey, the Boy asks the assistance of both a farmer and a sculptress, but both refuse. However, when the Boy asks an elderly arrowsmith, the arrowsmith senses his relation to the Sun and agrees to lend aid. The arrowsmith transforms the Boy into an arrow and launches him to the Sun.
Arriving in the Sun, the boy encounters his father, the Lord, who is skeptical of the Boy's identity as his son. To confirm the Boy's identity, he challenges his son to complete four trials: the Kiva of Lions, the Kiva of Serpents, the Kiva of Bees, and the Kiva of Lightning; the boy emerges from the Kiva of Lightning with newfound powers stemming from the Sun.
After the Boy endures these trials, the Lord finally acknowledges him as his son, and he sends the Boy back to Earth to bring the Sun's spirit into the world of men. The denizens of the Pueblo welcome the Boy home with the Dance of Life to commemorate his return.
Reception
The film was named to the list of ALA Notable Children's Videos in 1973.[4]
The book won the 1975 Caldecott Medal for illustration.[5]
References
- ^ Paytiamo, James. "The Flaming Arrow Katsina". Southwest Crossroads. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
- ^ Debbie Reese. "Proceed with Caution: Using Native American Folktales in the Classroom" (PDF). Csun.edu. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ Eliot A. Singer. "Fakelore, Multiculturalism, and the Ethics of Children's Literature". Vlib.iue.it. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ Notable children's films and videos, filmstrips, and recordings, 1973-1986. Chicago: ALA. 1987. ISBN 978-0-8389-3342-8. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ American Library Association: Caldecott Medal Winners, 1938 - Present. URL accessed 27 May 2009.
External links
- The short film Arrow to the Sun is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive.
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Preceded by | Caldecott Medal recipient 1975 | Succeeded by |
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- Animals of the Bible (1938)
- Mei Li (1939)
- Abraham Lincoln (1940)
- They Were Strong and Good (1941)
- Make Way for Ducklings (1942)
- The Little House (1943)
- Many Moons (1944)
- Prayer for a Child (1945)
- The Rooster Crows (1946)
- The Little Island (1947)
- White Snow, Bright Snow (1948)
- The Big Snow (1949)
- Song of the Swallows (1950)
- The Egg Tree (1951)
- Finders Keepers (1952)
- The Biggest Bear (1953)
- Madeline's Rescue (1954)
- Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper (1955)
- Frog Went A-Courtin' (1956)
- A Tree Is Nice (1957)
- Time of Wonder (1958)
- Chanticleer and the Fox (1959)
- Nine Days to Christmas (1960)
- Baboushka and the Three Kings (1961)
- Once a Mouse (1962)
- The Snowy Day (1963)
- Where the Wild Things Are (1964)
- May I Bring a Friend? (1965)
- Always Room for One More (1966)
- Sam, Bangs & Moonshine (1967)
- Drummer Hoff (1968)
- The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship (1969)
- Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (1970)
- A Story, a Story (1971)
- One Fine Day (1972)
- The Funny Little Woman (1973)
- Duffy and the Devil (1974)
- Arrow to the Sun (1975)
- Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears (1976)
- Ashanti to Zulu (1977)
- Noah's Ark (1978)
- The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses (1979)
- Ox-Cart Man (1980)
- Fables (1981)
- Jumanji (1982)
- Shadow (1983)
- The Glorious Flight (1984)
- Saint George and the Dragon (1985)
- The Polar Express (1986)
- Hey, Al (1987)
- Owl Moon (1988)
- Song and Dance Man (1989)
- Lon Po Po (1990)
- Black and White (1991)
- Tuesday (1992)
- Mirette on the High Wire (1993)
- Grandfather's Journey (1994)
- Smoky Night (1995)
- Officer Buckle and Gloria (1996)
- Golem (1997)
- Rapunzel (1998)
- Snowflake Bentley (1999)
- Joseph Had a Little Overcoat (2000)
- So You Want to Be President? (2001)
- The Three Pigs (2002)
- My Friend Rabbit (2003)
- The Man Who Walked Between the Towers (2004)
- Kitten's First Full Moon (2005)
- The Hello, Goodbye Window (2006)
- Flotsam (2007)
- The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2008)
- The House in the Night (2009)
- The Lion & the Mouse (2010)
- A Sick Day for Amos McGee (2011)
- A Ball for Daisy (2012)
- This is Not My Hat (2013)
- Locomotive (2014)
- The Adventures of Beekle (2015)
- Finding Winnie (2016)
- Radiant Child (2017)
- Wolf in the Snow (2018)
- Hello Lighthouse (2019)
- The Undefeated (2020)
- We Are Water Protectors (2021)
- Watercress (2022)
- Hot Dog (2023)
- Big (2024)
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