THE CREATION OF THE SUN AND THE MOON

How Chicovaneg rekindled the Sun from fragments of every star and held it aloft as his burning shield; how his son Huachinog-vaneg, following his mother's specifications and the heroic example of his father, created the Moon to be a Sun by night and made it wax and wane with clockwork precision. A living legend, this, if not the Aztec myth, and memorable for its imagery--Chicovaneg vaulting from star to star, sending a rainbow as a sign that the Sun would not again be extinguished, setting the Feathered Serpent to guard the world's edge (and descending at the end of each day to see that he is not lethargic). The story of the rabbit in (on) the moon is also a variant, and keyed to human values: he who helped Huachinog-vaneg reach the first star refuses to be banished to earth in his old age, reproaching Huachinog-vaneg for ingratitude, and the latter, relenting ashamedly, affixes him to his shield. The illustrations have character but little initial appeal, and the jacket has less; many youngsters will never know what they're missing.