Description: "In this Inca origin story for human civilization, the Sun creates Manco Câapac and Mama Ocllo from a drop of flame and charges them to found the world's very first city"-- Provided by publisher.
Brief description:
Micaela Chirif is a Peruvian poet and author whose books have been translated into Korean, Japanese, English, Portuguese, and French. Sheep Count Flowers (Levine Querido) was called "utterly beguiling" in a starred Kirkus review, and A Sleepless Night was named a USBBY Outstanding International Book and a Mildred D. Batchelder Honor Book. Visit Micaela's website at micaelachirif.pe or follow her on Instagram @micaelachirif.
Review Quotes:
⭐ "[A] wide-eyed adaptation of a quietly marvelous Inca folktale, originally published in Spain and shared here in a hushed, knowing tone...Accompanied by Palomino's stark, dramatic artwork--breathtaking in scope and full of life--this story is utterly spellbinding, as soothing in tone as a lullaby. A brief addendum defines potentially unfamiliar terms and provides a just-right splash of context on the Inca and the legend. An origin epic brilliantly retold."
--Kirkus Reviews (STARRED REVIEW)
⭐ "Chirif's conversational tone, brisk pacing, and rich descriptions of the natural world create a tale ideal for reading aloud...Palomino's digital line illustrations, with their spare use of color and charcoal like texture, gorgeously evoke ancient art...A wondrous adaptation of a Peruvian creation story."
--Horn Book (STARRED REVIEW)
"The illustrations are both abstract and detailed, capturing the vast, varied terrain of the Andean mountain range. The Children of the Sun might become part of a class set of ancient origin stories or a coffee-table book for discerning adult folklorists."
--Booklist
"Black and gray dominate the palette, but the deft use of bright colors, either as the turquoise of a flowing river or the vibrant oranges and yellows of the Sun god, create dramatic full spreads, while varying opacity brings dimension and movement....it will fit nicely in a unit on foundational myths."
--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Beautiful...skillfully translated...breathtaking illustrations...Told in simple, parable style, this story would be a delight to read aloud to younger children."
--Words Without Borders
"A spellbinding read-aloud that offers much to savor...engrossing, dramatic, and beautifully illustrated."
--Lynn Becker, author and reviewer