"So, little yellow and orange... little nippy one, have you been crawling on a rainbow?" Danny Rivas spied the beautifully beaded lizard sunning itself on a boulder. The creature curled defensively, flicking its tongue between warning hisses. "Cut the squawking, I'm not going to hurt you," he said, carefully reaching toward its head with a stick. "Besides, you're the one with all the poison. Yeah, I know about you, you're a snapping turtle without its shell. Hey, are you listening?" The animal quietly focused on the end of the stick. "...Because if you are, you're the only one. Nobody listens to me...ever, except maybe Digs...and Grandfather." He sighed deeply. "That's the trouble with all of them. They don't care about me. And why should they? I'm just a dumb little punk, anyway." Heavy rain clouds in the mountains and a rushing sound behind him went unheeded. He tossed the stick aside as the lizard lumbered into the safety of a crevice. And then, suddenly engulfed in a torrent, he was swept away by a muddy wall of water, coughing and choking as he swallowed the flow into his lungs. Bobbing branches struck his head and uprooted prickly pear speared his arms. He lunged at the bank of the wash, but a jutting snag of mesquite roots passed just beyond his fingertips. He gulped air as he rolled, flailing his arms to keep his face above water. Beneath the surface, rocks and thorny ocotillo scraped and tore at his flesh. * * * "Sophie, someone's knocking. Get that, will you?" Cecilia shouted from the kitchen as she wrapped the woman's hair in a towel. The rapping on the door came louder. "Uh, where is she? Sophie...Excuse me, Amelia, I'll be right back." Shaking her head, she padded away in slippered feet. |
“…action we associate with thriller writers like Michael Crichton…a flavor of story-telling, narration, and a touch of the archaic that one might find in a native story. Hunton’s work is animated and compelling.” Philip Baruth, award-winning commentator, University of Vermont professor, author of The Dream of the White Village |
Gila Monster |
‘chiadag’ in O’odham, is one of only two venomous lizards in the world, patterned in yellow or orange, and black beaded scales. Their jaws are powerful and their bite is tenacious. They hold onto victims tightly, injecting a continuous flow of venom. They are to be avoided when encountered. Their numbers are greatly reduced in recent years and they are protected by law in Arizona. The O’odham hold them in high esteem, believing the beautiful creatures to be a gift of the sun god, thus the colorful bands. |
The ‘man-in-the-maze’ is the most cherished symbol of several southwestern tribes; the Hopi, Navajo, and Tohono O’odham people show great reverence for its meaning in life and death. There are varying interpretations of the design, all closely related to the creation story. Here are two from the O’odham:
The man is I’itoi, Elder Brother, and the first man to walk Mother Earth. He represents the human seed and the maze is the womb of Mother Earth. And so, he is seen emerging to walk the land. Near the summit of Baboquivari is a sacred cave where the O’odham believe I’itoi emerged. The cave actually exists as a sacred shrine. The interior is scattered with burnt offerings and other gifts brought to I’itoi. Author’s note: I have never visited the cave, since Baboquivari is a challenge to climb and the cave is difficult to access, but I know it’s there based on numerous climber accounts.
The symbol can represent a person’s journey through life. The figure of the man represents each person beginning their journey. The maze contains many twists and turns, or choices made in life. The center represents a person’s dreams and final goals. When the center is reached, a person’s goals have been achieved and the sun god blesses them and allows them to pass into the next world. Before a person passes, they step back into the small recess, away from the center, where they contemplate what they have accomplished before they cross the last threshold. |
“I wish more authors would write books like these for young people. Hunton did his homework in researching the books. Main character Danny is a very believable twelve year-old, and his adventures make me want to go out and experience the desert more myself. As a middle school librarian, I search for these kinds of stories to recommend to my students. I look forward to reading the whole series. Bravo!”
Jerri Blackman, librarian - Valencia Middle School, Tucson, AZ
“These books introduce heart, spirit, and soul to adolescents. The ties to American Indian culture and mythology are great!”
Peggy E. Gillard, Assistant Principal, Colchester, VT Middle School |