The people and animals of a Southwestern village plead with Desert Woman to help them with Rattlesnake. He has become a tyrant and has taken over the road, refusing to let anyone pass. With help from Coyote, Raven, Eagle, and Heron, Desert Woman forms a new animal, agile and fast, with all the necessary tools to overcome Rattlesnake. Like a twisting, turning whirlwind, graceful Roadrunner easily dances in and out of Rattlesnake’s reach until he slithers away in defeat, leaving the road free for all to use.

Rudolfo Anaya is professor emeritus at the University of New Mexico, where he taught Chicano literature and creative writing. Mr. Anaya has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards for his writing. Most recently, his novel Albuquerque received the PEN-West Award for fiction. He was also the winner of the Tomás Rivera Mexican-American Children’s Book Award for The Farolitos of Christmas. He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

David Diaz is the Caldecott Award–winning illustrator of Smoky Night. His bold, dynamic, and unconventional art style has also earned him awards from Parent’s Choice, American Illustration, and the American Institute of Graphic Arts. Mr. Diaz lives with his family in Carlsbad, California.