Piecing Earth and Sky Together: A Creation Story from the Mien Tribe of Laos

by Nancy Raines Day, Genna Panzarella (Illustrator)

Overview

"In the beginning, a helper from heaven named Faam Koh came down to make the sky. His sister, Faam Toh, came down to make the earth..."

So begins the delightful story of a very competitive pair of siblings who use the distinctive embroidery of the Mien people to create the earth and sky. Because both siblings want to make their part of the world the most beautiful, they work in secret until it is finally time to reveal their handiwork, and find out that the two pieces don't fit together!

The two try stretching the sky—only to result in some stuffing falling out as clouds, but Faam Toh solves the problem by stitching the fabric into mountains, rivers, gorges, and valleys. Only then do the earth and sky fit together perfectly, allowing all the plants and animals to thrive.

Like the detailed Mien embroidery in the story, Nancy Raines Day's retelling of this traditional Mien tale and Genna Panzarella's striking illustrations complete each other like the earth and sky. Together, they create a book that is alive with the richness and beauty of the Mien culture and of the earth itself. An author's explanation of the tradition and significance of Mien embroidery follows the story.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781643797342
Publisher:	Lee & Low Books
Publication date:	11/19/2024
Pages:	36
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	5 - 9 Years

About the Author

Nancy Raines Day is known for her clever concept books, many in rhyme. She is the author of Baby's Firsts, A Kitten's Year and The Lion's Whiskers: An Ethiopian Folktale, a New York Times Notable Book. Nancy, who also consults on picture book manuscripts for fellow children's writers, resides in Georgia with her husband. Visit her online at nancyrainesday.com.

Genna Panzarella is an artist and teacher living near San Francisco, where she and her husband raised two sons. When she is not teaching or creating art, you will find Genna riding her horses. She also loves to travel and has been to South East Asia as well as Africa, India, and China. Genna received her BFA at Washington State University, and studied for a year in Aixen-Provence, France. Genna's artwork has explored many media, including fabrics, clothing, glass, oils, bronze, and even chalk drawing on sidewalks. Visit Genna online at gennasart.com.

Editorial Reviews

K-Gr 4-In this myth, two siblings create earth and sky with needle and thread. At first, they compete with one another, embroidering in secret. However, when the brother's shimmering sky turns out to be too small for the sister's abundant earth, they must work together to find a solution. The results are depicted in a lavish double spread, enlarged by flaps, showing an Edenic Cambodian rain forest, rich in animal life. Cast within the frame of a story told by a grandmother while she and her small granddaughter stitch together, the tale is attributed by the author to older members of the Mien community from the Laotian Handcraft Project of Berkeley, CA. Using vivid colors, the illustrator places grandmother, granddaughter, and the newly created world on a white background while setting the mythic portion of the story on cosmic black. Though the realistic drawings are not particularly innovative, the effect is certainly dramatic. Grandmother and the brother and sister gods are shown in traditional clothing. An author's note explains the importance of embroidery to this culture, and pictures of traditional stitches are included. The book should be useful where creation myths are compared, where stitchery is valued, and where Southeast Asian stories are needed.-Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

"Traditional Mien stitches are illustrated, and both the source of the tale and the models for Koh and Toh are cited. The beautiful illustrations are done in colored pencils, which make a rich and textured page with depths like a dark jewel; deep indigos, violets, and greens predominate. An intriguing presentation that should reach a wide audience." — Booklist

"In this myth, two siblings create earth and sky with needle and thread. . . The results are depicted in a lavish double spread, enlarged by flaps, showing an Edenic Cambodian rain forest, rich in animal life. Cast within the frame of a story told by a grandmother while she and her small granddaughter stitch together, the tale is attributed by the author to older members of the Mien community from the Laotian Handcraft Project of Berkeley, CA." — School Library Journal

From the Publisher