How the Sea Began Rnf

Taken from the first ethnological study done in the New World, this pourquoi story makes a strong contribution to the growing number of books preserving ancient tales of early cultures. When Yayael, a great hunter among Puerto Rico's Taino natives, disappears during a hurricane, his parents place his powerful bow and arrow in a gourd hanging from the ceiling. One day the gourd fills with fish enough for all the hungry villagers; but when some curious boys are asked to protect this magical food source, catastrophe occurs. They inadvertently break the gourd, and ``in an instant everything in the hut was afloat.'' Torrents ``flowed and rose to cover the land'' and eventually ``all kinds of sea creatures came out of the gourd to fill the water with life''--the villagers will never hunger again. Crespo's debut book successfully combines a spare, to-the-point retelling with stylized, brightly colored oil paintings that playfully echo forms and faces from early masks and sculpture without being too abstract for a child's comprehension. A concluding pronunciation guide and notes on the Taino culture will be helpful for teachers and parents. Ages 5-8. (Mar.)