Jerrie Oughton

This folktale comes from the mythology of the Navajo people. Vibrant and intense illustrations tell the story of First Woman - and the trickster Coyote - and how the stars were scattered into the sky. Powerful phrases create the feelings of this primordial world, like "pulse of the first day," and "the rim of night." A beautiful creation story in any collection.
As she places the stars, First Woman explains to Coyote the wisdom and comfort the stars will bring to the people, gently incorporating the values and culture of the Navajo people into the legend. The illustrations depict traditional dwellings, dress and activities without making the lives of the people the center of the story, instead leaving the power of the story to rest in the connection between the people and the universe through their relationship to the night sky.… (mehr)

How the Stars Fell into the Sky: A Navajo Legend is a story of how the First Woman tries to write the laws of the land by putting them in the sky with the stars. She lays out her blanket with the stars on the ground and then slowly spends her time placing them in the sky. Coyote was observing First Woman and offered to help her; however, he was extremely impatient and takes the blanket and throws all the stars into the sky causing the world confusion as to what the laws are. I would love to use this book in a science unit to start into a unit about constellations which then can be lead into a fun activity of using string games to make some constellations.… (mehr)