Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns

Starred review from August 1, 2020
Grades 2-4 *Starred Review* Acclaimed author and illustrator Tonatiuh (Soldier for Equality, 2019) revives an ancient Mesoamerican creation story in his signature style, blurring the distance between the old and the new. According to the legend, the gods made four attempts to create humans before giving up and sending the sacred bones to Mictlantecuhtli, lord of the underworld. This did not sit well with the Feathered Serpent, Quetzalcoatl, the god of knowledge, who set off to rescue the bones and create humans. Like all good legendary heroes, he must overcome obstacles both natural and magical before arriving at his destination. Through this journey, readers come to know the topography, flora, and fauna of the area. Tonatiuh's narrative is fresh, even humorous at times, and Quetzalcoatl feels more human than divine. Accompanied by the spirit dog Xolotl, he accomplishes his task, and for better or worse, humans come into being. While the tale itself will appeal to lovers of adventure and myth, the author's note adds an important historical and cultural depth that should not be bypassed. Feathered Serpent has all the literary elements of a good story and can be used to teach genre, narrative, history, or just quality literature.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

Starred review from October 12, 2020
Through four tonatiuhs (suns, or epochs), the Mesoamerican gods try to create humans, covering sacred bones with mud and corn paste. After their attempts result in mountains, birds, monkeys, and fish, however (“the mud would slip off their bones and slide into the rivers and lakes”), the gods “gave the sacred bones to Mictlantecuhtli, the lord of the underworld, to keep. But Quetzalcóatl—Feathered Serpent—the god of knowledge, did not want to give up.” In strong, spare language, Tonatiuh relates Feathered Serpent’s journey through nine forbidding regions, including “Temiminalóyan, the field where it rains arrows,” to retrieve the bones. Accompanied by spirit guide Xólotl, a dog, Feathered Serpent outwits Mictlantecuhtli. Though he breaks the bones, he invents humans using the broken pieces and the gods’ blood: “It is said by the elders that we are the descendants of those humans and that we are living in the fifth tonatiuh.” Hand-drawn, digitally collaged art, incorporating Mesoamerican styles and motifs, deepens the power of Tonatiuh’s tale, a tantalizing slice of Mesoamerica’s rich stories. Includes author’s note and glossary with a pronunciation guide. Ages 5–9.

July 1, 2020
The Feathered Serpent, known as Quetzalcoatl among Nahuatl-speaking peoples, is a principal figure in Mesoamerican cosmology and often features in the origin stories of Olmec, Toltec, Mayan, and Aztec cultures. Here Tonatiuh engagingly reimagines Quetzalcoatl's journey through Mictlan, the underworld realm of Lord Mictlantecuhtli, from whom he must recover the sacred bones needed to create humankind. With staff, shield, cloak, and shell ornament in hand, Quetzalcoatl descends into Mictlan's cavernous "sacred mountains," where his nahual (spirit guide) Xolotl brings him through its nine regions. At each, the resilient duo defies death with quick wit and creativity, employing all of Quetzalcoatl's sacred objects as they advance to their ultimate confrontation with Mictlantecuhtli. Tonatiuh's (The Princess and the Warrior, rev. 9/16; Soldier for Equality, rev. 1/20) distinctive illustration style draws on Nahua visual writing systems, emulating the symmetry, balanced lines, and prominent profile and aerial viewpoints found in Indigenous codices. His bold use of color and expansive spreads enhance these mythic proportions, as palettes transition from golden hues to black-and-white darkness, then return to golden shades, symbolically conveying the cyclical movement of sun eras, or tonatiuhs. The artist's hand-drawn and digitally collaged illustrations reward careful examination as textures pop and engage the viewer. Back matter includes an author's note, glossary, and bibliography featuring Mexican anthropological scholarship.

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from July 15, 2020
The elders say that humanity currently resides in the fifth tonatiuh, or sun. Here's the story of how humans came to be. The preceding four tonatiuhs bore witness to failed trials. First, the gods covered sacred bones with mud, but these giant humans proved too fragile, becoming mountains in the end. The second set of humans, smaller than the first, developed into fish. Under the third tonatiuh, the enraged gods turned the rebellious humans into monkeys. The fourth tonatiuh resulted in the latest, lazy humans assuming the form of birds. At this point, the gods conceded any hope of creating humans, all except for Quetzalc�atl, the Feathered Serpent. Taking along his staff, shield, cloak, and shell ornament, Feathered Serpent travels to Mictl�n, the underworld, to retrieve the sacred bones from Mictlantecuhtli, the lord of the underworld. To reach where Mictlantecuhtli dwells, Feathered Serpent journeys through nine regions, each region a test of his bravery and perseverance. Accompanied by a dog spirit guide named X�lotl, Feathered Serpent succeeds in his journey. Full of warm landscapes bathed under the sun's light, multicolored night skies set against stars, and cavernous walls of rugged browns, Tonatiuh's artwork--familiar in form, electric in spirit--astonishes in this retelling of a Mesoamerican creation story. Told with succinct clarity and a hint of mischief, this rendition begs for rereads. Here's a new high-water mark for the artist. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-22-inch double-page spreads reviewed at 77.1% of actual size.) Simply spellbinding. (author's note, glossary, select bibliography) (Picture book/cosmology. 6-9)

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