I Am the Sun

After a boy greets the rising sun (“First light. First gift”), he sets about learning “the Diné way” in a picture book that underlines themes of connection, culture, and kinship in the everyday. Diné author Parker’s onomatopoeic text follows the figure from dusk to dawn as he helps his father work with turquoise and silver (“Tap, tap./ ...a symbol to wear with honor”), sits with his mother at her loom (“Swish, swish./ ...I am woven forever with my ancestors”), and more before donning regalia and dancing (“Thump, thump!”) “for healing./ ...for remembrance./ ...for freedom./ for the future./ for the Diné!” In saturated hues, Navajo artist Blacksheep renders patterned borders and thin-lined landscapes; an inset panel on most spreads positions the sun in the sky. And finally, watching the sun set from the tallest rock, the narrator observes “In me, the Sun will always rise....// Yes, I am the Sun” and determines to, in turn, show the way to others. Includes author’s notes and a glossary. Ages 6–9. (Oct.)