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About The Rainbow Bridge
Product Description Hutash the earth goddess must decide what to do with her tribe when the Chumash people grow too numerous for their island home. This unusual legend reveals how Hutash accomplished the dangerous task of sending half of them to the land across the water-and how she saved some of the Chumash from drowning by turning them into dolphins. “Wood and debut illustrator Florczak offer a transcendent adaptation of a Native American tale, their work a shining example of economy and elegance of text, originality of interpretation and dazzling illustrative technique.”-- Publishers Weekly From School Library Journal Kindergarten-Grade 4?Hutash the earth goddess creates the Chumash people, helps them to obtain fire, and sends them from Limuw (Santa Cruz Island) across the Santa Barbara channel to the mainland so that they will have room to flourish. Hutash makes a rainbow as a bridge for the crossing, but some of the people look down and, dizzy, fall into the sea. The young boy who has been the goddess's messenger is among them, but Hutash changes him and the others into dolphins so that their lives are saved, and "...the dolphins of the sea are brothers and sisters of their tribe." This lesser-known Native American legend, with its strong female power and message of unity in nature, is attractive in itself, but it has been given truly compelling illustrations. At first, they appear to be magically enhanced, slightly surreal photographs. Florczak paints with layers of translucent oil glazes, painstakingly creating a lucidity of detail and superrealistic surface textures of skin, rock, water, cloth, cloud and, above all, light. Dramatic shadow, pellucid atmosphere, and iridescent color suggest Caravaggio crossed with Maxfield Parrish. The natural scenery is stunning. California poppies and Chumash basketry are juxtaposed with the intricate, Baroque folds of Hutash's swirling shawl. Dynamic pictures and an unusual story set this volume apart from the familiar run of Native American tales.?Patricia (Dooley) Lothrop Green, St. George's School, Newport, RI Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Booklist Ages 6^-9. According to the "Storyteller's Note," Wood has based her story on a legend of the Chumash Indians, who live near her home in California. Wood notes that she has added characters and expanded the tale. Earth goddess Hutash creates people in her image to live on Limuw, her island home. When the people flourish, Limuw becomes too loud and crowded. Hutash tells her people that some must cross over the rainbow bridge that she will stretch to the mainland. One group begins to walk across the rainbow bridge, but a few lose their balance and fall into the ocean. Rather than see them drown, Hutash turns them into dolphins, the people of the sea. Dramatic in composition and hyperrealistic in detail, the distinctive artwork sometimes looks as perfect as a photograph, sometimes as fantastic as a dream, and, sometimes, as idealized, otherworldly, and emotionally cool as a Maxfield Parrish painting. An impressive production, this pourquoi tale will probably find an audience. Carolyn Phelan Review "A shining example of economy and elegance of text, originality of interpretation and dazzling illustrative technique....Collaborative storytelling at its best."—Publishers Weekly "Enthralling."—San Francisco Chronicle "Dynamic pictures and an unusual story set this volume apart from the familiar run of Native American tales."—School Library Journal About the Author Audrey Wood is the author of many beloved books for children, including the bestselling classic The Napping House, its companion The Full Moon at the Napping House, Caldecott Honor Book King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, Heckedy Peg, Piggies, and Piggy Pie Po, all of which were illustrated by her husband, Don Wood. The Woods divide their time between California and Hawaii. No Bio
