In an original story inspired by Native-American culture, a boy discovers that he can wake the dawn with his flutesongs. Full of pride, he demonstrates to his entire tribe, gathered for his naming ceremony, that he can make the sun rise at midnight. His grandfather's shame at this display helps the boy learn that his gift should not be used arrogantly, to unbalance Creation; it is rightly used to honor it, and only then does the boy receive a worthy name. Set when Plains Indians were beginning to suffer from the decimation of buffalo herds and encroachments of white settlers, the thought-provoking story turns on their beliefs in the sacredness of earth and the kinship of creatures. The texture of Hays's canvas shows through his light-filled acrylic paintings, in yellows, blues, and browns bordered with decorative geometric friezes. The midnight sunrise is intensely dramatic--the huge ball of the sun rising through streaks of cloud, with the awestruck tribe silhouetted in the foreground. Given the book's length and the subtlety of its ideas, best suited for children older than the usual picture-book crowd. (Picture book. 7-11)
