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Raven: A Trickster Tale From The Northwest is a 1993 children's picture book told and illustrated by Gerald Mcdermott. Raven: A Trickster Tale From The Northwest was a Caldecott Medal Honor Book in 1994 and it was a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book in 1993.

Plot
The Raven came to a world covered in darkness, where men and women lived in a world of dark and cold. The Raven felt bad for the humans and resolved to search for the light. The Raven flew across mountains, rivers, and valleys until finally, he saw light. He had arrived at the house of the Sky Chief, which was shining brilliantly in the horizon. The Raven snuck into the house of the Sky Chief and stole the Sun from the Sky Chief, returning to the land of darkness and filling it with a bright light. People feed the Raven today as a way to say thanks for bringing light to them.

Characters
Raven:

A shape-changing Raven who went out looking for the light to bring it to the people so as to get rid of the darkness that enveloped the land. The Raven was smart and able to trick the Sky Chief into giving him the Sun, throwing it into the sky to make light for the people. As a child the Raven was very curious.

Sky Chief's Daughter:

A beautiful young girl that was tricked by the Raven into giving birth to him as a boy child after drinking water with the Raven, shape-changed into a pine needle, in it.

Sky Chief:

An old man who played the with Raven (the child), whom he saw as a grandchild and carved toys for him.

Critical Reception
This children's book has been reviewed positively on publication with Publishers Weekly saying, "With this masterfully executed reworking, McDermott adds to the folktale bookshelf a work in the grand tradition." Horn Book Magazine stating that "The naive view suits the simplicity of the scheme, and the mythic elements of the story are masterfully rendered." In a section of The New York Times Gerald McDermott is praised along with his works of fiction saying, "McDermott is not only a picture-book artist of the first-rank, but also one of our most gifted retellers of myth and folk tale."

Awards

 * Caldecott Honor
 * ALA Notable Children's Book
 * Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor