Readers follow him on his quest in Malden, Virginia, where he finds inspiration in a man ``brown as me'' reading a newspaper on a street corner.

It was very long for a picture book and had a lot of language that may not be comprehendible for the younger audience that it was intended for. After his children were born, he become a full-time author/ illustrator, using layers of cut paper to illustrate children's books.A unique artist again creates a substantial original tale based on folkloric traditions, meticulously explained in an extensive note.

At the end of the book he included a notes page that discussed the actual event or tradition or practice of the people that he incorporated into a story. Pik is a brave Maya boy and tries to save his civilisation from being engulfed in a year of drought. Although not fully giving the reader a true sense of Mayan identity it is a good stepping stone for those who may be interested or those who need a bit of a cultural change in their reading no matter what their age may be. Though the story is simple and straightforward, and I enjoyed it, whatever you may find lacking in it is more than made up for by 1) did I mention the art? A great take on a Mayan folktale where a young man who is a pok a tok player, is frustrated by a drought caused by the Choc, the god of rain.A Jersey Devil: a blue-furred, red-bellied and -winged mythical creature that looks like “a tiny dragon” with cloven hooves, like a deer’s, on its hind feet. A young, athletic braggart learns his lesson, assisted by mother nature, and ends up saving his city from devastating drought.