Michelle Tsosie Sisneros

Kokopelli, the Fluteplayer, is one of the most recognizable figures in Southwestern art and culture. He has been called a god, a priest, a wandering trader, a trickster, and he has been connected with rain, growth, music, hunting, and magic.

Was Kokopelli a real person or a legend or both? What is it about him that inspires people to draw his image and tell stories about him even to this day? Author Kathleen Bryant and illustrator Michelle Tsosie Sisneros tell a story set in ancient times that also serves as a modern parable in our world where the simple things are often overlooked.

In ancient times, the ancestors of the Pueblo people built dwellings among the rocks and cliffs. They relied on nature to provide rainfall for their crops, but sometimes they had long dry spells. During these times, the people felt they had lost touch with Mother Nature.

This story of how things might have been tells of a mysterious stranger who arrives at an ancient pueblo during a time of drought. Even though the people have very little, they discover that they do have gifts from the earth to trade for his magic.