Raven, a native American trickster, must figure out a way to steal the light from the house of the Sky Chief where it is hidden and bring it to the world. By the author of Zomo the Rabbit. Grade 1 Up-- All the world is in darkness at the beginning of this traditional tale from the Indian cultures of the Pacific Northwest. Raven feels sorry for the people living in the gloomy cold, so he flies to the house of the Sky Chief in search of light and warmth. To get inside, Raven pulls a shape-shifting trick that allows him to be born to the god's daughter. As a spoiled and comic infant, Raven demands and gets the shiny ball that the gods have hidden away. The art and text capture the spirit of the Native American trickster hero; benevolent, clever, magical, unscrupulous, and ultimately triumphant, Raven acts out human virtues and foibles on a cosmic scale. The mixed-media illustrations contrast the foggy cold of the Northwest Coast with the cozy interior of a native plank house. Traditional dress, furnishings, and house construction are clearly depicted, as are the tender and indulgent emotions of the Sky Chief and his family. As Raven shape-shifts through the story, visual and verbal clues let children see that his essential nature remains intact. The book invites comparisons with other trickster heroes like Africa's Anansi and the Native American Coyote, as well as with stories of fire bringers like Prometheus. The physical environment, oral literature, and traditional life of the Pacific Coast Indians come alive in this amusing and well-conceived picture book. --Carolyn Polese, Gateway Community School, Arcata, CA Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. Hero and mischief-maker Raven is central to Native American myths of the Pacific Northwest, as McDermott explains in a gracefully written note. Here, he's a cunning trickster who brings the marvelous gift of light to the world. Turning himself into a pine needle, Raven is swallowed by the Sky Chief's daughter and reborn as her son. He finds the sun hidden away in a box, resumes the shape of Raven, seizes the sun in his beak, and throws it into the sky. Retelling the tale with elegant simplicity, Caldecott Medalist McDermott illustrates it with handsome mixed-media art. Raven, a bold pattern of red, blue, and green on black, refers directly to the familiar totem pole figure; the landscape is a lovely, understated expanse of watercolor; the stylized sky people, in gentle earth tones, are at once decorative, warmly benevolent, and sculpturally heroic. A splendid setting for an important myth. (Folklore/Picture book. 4-10) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.