Author Profile
Gerald McDermott
17 Books
Gerald McDermott was an American filmmaker, illustrator, and creator of highly acclaimed children's books. He is renowned for his vibrant, geometric illustrations and his masterful adaptations of global mythology and folklore, such as his Caldecott Medal-winning 'Arrow to the Sun' and the Caldecott Honor book 'Raven'. His visually striking works introduced countless young readers to traditional trickster tales and creation myths from cultures around the world.
Look up into the sky. Where did all that bright, warm light come from? Long ago, the world was completely dark, and people lived in the cold shadows. But Raven, a clever and magical trickster, decides to change everything.
You will follow Raven as he searches for the hidden source of light. He must use all his shape-shifting tricks to sneak past a powerful chief who keeps the sun locked away in a tiny box. Can a simple bird outsmart a wealthy chief and bring sunshine to the world?
Discover a beautiful, ancient story of magic, courage, and tricky surprises. The stunning pictures will pull you right into the legend, showing you exactly how Raven transformed the sky forever. Get ready to spread your wings and fly into a bright new adventure.
6-8 Years
N/A
/5
Waking up every day feeling like you do not belong is incredibly hard. That is exactly how a young boy named Mavungu feels. Unloved by his family, he runs away into the deep, dark jungle. But what he finds there will change his life forever.
Deep in the woods, you will discover a mysterious tree. When Mavungu pulls its leaves, the tree magically opens to reveal a beautiful princess and a kingdom of wealth! Suddenly, the lonely boy is a powerful ruler with everything he ever wanted. There is just one catch. He must promise never to tell anyone the secret of the magic tree.
Can you keep a secret? Find out what happens when Mavungu is tempted to show off to the family that once ignored him. This thrilling jungle adventure is filled with surprising magic, tough choices, and a mystery you will not soon forget.
6-8 Years
N/A
/5
Listen closely to the sweet, beautiful music floating through the air. That amazing sound comes from Jabuti the tortoise and his special flute. All the animals in the forest love to hear him play, but there is one bird who is not happy at all. Vulture is jealous because he cannot sing or make music like the talented tortoise.
When the King of Heaven invites everyone to a grand festival in the sky, clever Vulture sees his chance for a mean trick. He offers the slow tortoise a ride on his back, flying high into the clouds. But Vulture has a sneaky plan to drop Jabuti!
Hold on tight as you travel high above the trees. You will discover how a tricky bird tries to ruin the fun, and how a brave little tortoise uses his wits and his music to survive a terrible fall.
6-8 Years
32 Pages
N/A
/5
If there is one thing Coyote loves more than anything else, it is finding trouble. This boastful, silly animal is always poking his nose where it does not belong. When he sees a flock of crows dancing and flying through the air, Coyote decides he wants to join the fun. He wants to fly, too!
Even though coyotes do not have wings, the clever crows decide to teach him a lesson. They give him a few feathers and let him jump into the sky. You will laugh out loud as you watch Coyote try to balance and swoop with his new friends. But what happens when the crows decide they want their feathers back in mid-air?
Get ready for a hilarious, tumbling adventure. You will find out exactly why coyotes have the color fur they do today, all thanks to one very funny and very foolish mistake.
6-8 Years
35 Pages
N/A
/5
Look out into a world wrapped in shadows and silence. Long ago, the Earth was a quiet, gray place with no music, no bright colors, and no joy. The Lord of the Night knows this must change, but the powerful Sun is holding the four greatest musicians prisoner in the sky.
You will join the mighty Wind on a thrilling and dangerous rescue mission. Sent by the Lord of the Night, the Wind must travel across the universe, battling fierce sunbeams and crashing through clouds. His goal is to free the captive musicians so they can share their beautiful melodies with the world below.
Discover a spectacular Aztec myth filled with heroic battles, glowing magic, and the incredible power of music. You will see exactly how courage and determination brought vibrant color and joyful songs down to Earth for everyone to enjoy.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
48 Pages
N/A
/5
Every boy wants to know who his father is, but this boy has a bigger mystery than most. The other children tease him because he has no father to guide him. Determined to find his true family, he sets out on an incredible journey that will take him further than he ever imagined.
You will travel alongside the boy as a wise arrow-maker transforms him into a magical arrow. With a powerful shot, he is launched high into the sky, soaring straight toward the blazing Sun. But arriving at the Sun is only the beginning. To prove he is the true son of the Sun Lord, he must face four terrifying trials filled with dangerous creatures and fiery tests.
Will the brave boy survive the trials and bring the Sun's spirit back to Earth? Step into this brilliant, colorful adventure to discover a beautiful story about finding out exactly who you are.
6-8 Years
48 Pages
N/A
/5
Tim O'Toole and his wife Kathleen are so poor they do not have a single penny or a crumb of food. Searching for a job, Tim takes a walk down a lonely country road. Instead of finding work, he stumbles right into a magical group of tiny wee folk who want to help him out.
You will cheer for Tim as the wee folk give him a goose that lays golden eggs and a magical tablecloth that produces a giant feast. Finally, Tim's terrible luck has changed! But there is a big problem. The greedy McGoon family next door wants those magical treasures for themselves.
Watch as Tim gets tricked and loses his wonderful gifts. But do not worry, the wee folk have one more special surprise waiting. You will love this funny, magical adventure that proves a little bit of good luck is always waiting if you know where to look.
6-8 Years
32 Pages
N/A
/5
Have you ever had a dream that felt incredibly real? Daniel O'Rourke thought he was just settling down for a quiet nap after a party, but a mischievous pooka spirit has a completely different plan for his night.
Hold on tight as you join Daniel on the wildest ride of his life. Without warning, he is swept high into the sky by a giant eagle, zooming past the clouds all the way up to the moon! You will meet the grouchy Man in the Moon and watch as Daniel tumbles through space, desperately trying to find his way back home.
Is it all real, or is the tricky spirit just playing a grand joke? Dive into this fast-paced, funny Irish adventure. You will laugh at Daniel's unbelievable bad luck and cheer for him to finally get his feet planted safely back on solid ground.
6-8 Years
N/A
/5
Step back in time to the golden sands of ancient Egypt. The great pharaoh Osiris is a kind and fair ruler, beloved by all his people. But lurking in the shadows is his brother Set, who is boiling with jealousy. Set wants the throne for himself, and he will use the darkest tricks to get it.
You will witness a heartbreaking betrayal as Set traps Osiris and banishes him. But the story does not end there. Join the powerful and devoted queen Isis as she searches desperately to save her husband. Through magic, courage, and true love, she fights to restore order to the kingdom.
Discover the legendary journey of how a fallen king became the mighty ruler of the underworld. This epic myth is packed with action, royal secrets, and powerful magic. You will be amazed by the incredible lengths a queen will go to protect her family.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
N/A
/5
Meet the sneakiest, hungriest trickster in all of Hawaii. Pig-Boy might look like a regular person, but he has a magical secret. Whenever he gets into trouble, he can instantly transform into a real pig and scurry away!
You will laugh out loud as Pig-Boy causes chaos across the island. He loves to eat everything in sight, which quickly makes the local King very angry. Just when you think Pig-Boy is caught, he uses his grandmother's wise advice and his shape-shifting magic to slip away again. But his tricks are put to the ultimate test when he faces off against Pele, the fierce goddess of fire.
Can a hungry little trickster outsmart a volcano goddess? Jump into this exciting, funny adventure full of wild escapes, magical transformations, and a character who simply refuses to get caught.
6-8 Years
40 Pages
N/A
/5
Spending your whole day high up in the trees, eating the sweetest, juiciest mangoes, is the perfect life for clever Monkey. He loves bouncing from branch to branch on his island, perfectly safe from the dangers below. But swimming in the river nearby is a very hungry, very sneaky Crocodile with a terrible plan.
Crocodile does not want mangoes. He wants to eat Monkey! You will sit on the edge of your seat as the dangerous reptile tries to trick Monkey into taking a ride across the water. When Crocodile reveals his true, scary intentions halfway across the river, Monkey has to think faster than ever before.
How do you escape from the jaws of a hungry beast when you are trapped in the middle of a river? Discover the brilliant, quick-thinking trick Monkey uses to save his own life in this exciting, funny jungle adventure.
6-8 Years
37 Pages
N/A
/5
Zomo is not the biggest animal in the forest, and he is certainly not the strongest. But this clever West African rabbit has one massive goal. He wants to have all the wisdom in the world. When Zomo visits the powerful Sky God to ask for this ultimate prize, he discovers that wisdom is not free.
You will follow Zomo as he is challenged to complete three completely impossible tasks. He must capture the scales of a giant fish, the milk of a fierce wild cow, and the tooth of a dangerous leopard. To survive, Zomo has to use every ounce of his trickster brain.
Will his quick thinking and fast feet be enough to outsmart three enormous beasts? Jump right into this wild, energetic adventure. You will learn alongside Zomo that being clever is great, but true wisdom takes something even more important.
6-8 Years
32 Pages
N/A
/5
Before there were oceans, mountains, or sparkling stars, there was only darkness and silence. How did the world as we know it begin? Step into a magnificent, ancient story that shows exactly how the universe burst into beautiful, vibrant life.
You will journey through the spectacular days of creation, watching as the very first rays of light push away the shadows. See the deep waters separate, the towering trees sprout from the earth, and the mighty sun and moon take their places in the sky. Soon, the world is filled with soaring birds, splashing fish, and the very first people.
Discover the awesome power and majesty of how everything began. With vivid colors and powerful words, this classic story invites you to marvel at the wonder of nature, the beauty of the earth, and the brilliant design of life itself.
6-8 Years
9-12 Years
N/A
/5
Deep in the mountains of Japan, a humble man works all day chipping away at hard rocks. Tasaku the stonecutter is perfectly happy with his simple life, until the day he sees a wealthy prince pass by. Suddenly, Tasaku wants nothing more than to be powerful and rich.
You will watch in amazement as a magical mountain spirit grants Tasaku his wish! First, he becomes a mighty prince. But soon, he realizes the sun is more powerful than a prince, so he wishes to become the sun. Then he wants to be a cloud, and then a mountain. His wishes get bigger and bigger, but will all this power actually make him happy?
Discover a beautiful, thought-provoking tale about the danger of greed. You will see exactly what happens when you spend your life wishing to be something else, instead of realizing how special you already are.
6-8 Years
N/A
/5
Meet the loudest, most colorful bird in the entire jungle. Papagayo the parrot loves to squawk, flap his bright feathers, and cause trouble. While all the night creatures are trying to get their rest, Papagayo just cannot stop making noise. He drives the peaceful nocturnal animals completely crazy!
But when the sky grows dark, a terrifying monster decides it wants to eat the moon for a midnight snack. The quiet night creatures are too terrified to do anything. Suddenly, they need someone brave, bold, and incredibly loud to scare the monster away.
You will laugh and cheer as the mischievous parrot uses his annoying habits to become a mighty hero. Dive into this vibrant, noisy adventure and discover how the very thing that makes you different might just be the exact thing that saves the day.
6-8 Years
N/A
/5
Anansi is not just any spider. He is a clever trickster who is always getting himself into sticky situations. When Anansi wanders too far from home, he falls into terrible danger. First he is swallowed by a giant fish, and then he gets snatched up by a mighty falcon!
Luckily, Anansi has six very special sons. You will meet See Trouble, Road Builder, River Drinker, Game Skinner, Stone Thrower, and Cushion. Each son has a unique superpower, and they must work perfectly together to rescue their father from certain doom. But when Anansi finds a beautiful, glowing globe of light, he faces an impossible choice. Which heroic son deserves the wonderful prize?
Jump into this classic West African adventure filled with teamwork, magic, and daring rescues. You will discover the spectacular story of how six brave spiders helped put the glowing moon directly into the night sky.
6-8 Years
2 Pages
N/A
/5
Being locked away in a towering stone prison with no doors is a terrifying problem. But the brilliant inventor Daedalus and his young son Icarus are trapped on an island by a cruel king. But Daedalus is too smart to give up. If they cannot escape across the water, they will escape through the sky!
You will watch in awe as Daedalus builds two spectacular pairs of wings using feathers and wax. Suddenly, they are flying like eagles, soaring high above the ocean waves. It is an amazing feeling of freedom. But Daedalus gives his son one strict warning. Do not fly too close to the hot, blazing sun.
Can Icarus resist the thrill of soaring higher and higher? Experience this legendary Greek myth of brilliant inventions and daring escapes. You will learn a powerful lesson about following the rules and respecting the awesome forces of nature.
6-8 Years
N/A
/5
