About the book

The story is a present day tale about a young Cherokee Indian, Teddy Redsun, living on a reservation who dreams of being a hip-hop singer. He finds a beautiful, glowing turquoise stone, which he takes to his grandfather. Through the guidance and teachings of his grandfather, Teddy learns the true meaning of performing songs and realizes his dreams.

Each book will include a glow-in-the-dark turquoise sticker or stone to be attached to the front cover, which can be removed by the reader. The story is also accompanied by two music videos that are songs Teddy Redsun sings in the story.

This package will create a greater awareness of Native American culture, both past and present. The message is optimistic and the hip-hop lyrics are positive and appropriate for young boys and girls.

It wasn’t the lullabies that his grandfather White Eagle had taught him when he was a small boy, growing up in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the Cherokee capital. It wasn’t the soothing notes that his mother would croon late at night in their trailer when she got home from a long hard day of working as a waitress in the local hotel dining room. Nor was it was the rock-‘til-you drop vocals that his school friends, Little Buck and Mohican Dance would try to get him to join in on as they jump-stepped the one mile across the hilly, green Cherokee land to school every day. What Teddy liked to sing was hip-hop.

The next day Teddy Redsun ran onto the playground for recess and gathered his whole class to listen to his new song. But everyone laughed. Even his two best friends Mohican Dance and Little Buck laughed with the others. “Rock n’ roll,” they shouted, give us Rock n’ roll, Teddy Redsun!” Big Bull the bully, the biggest and the meanest boy in his class came up to Teddy Redsun and pushed him to the hard ground. “No song of yours will ever be famous. You’re a loser!” Big Bull held his big round face close and looked hard into Teddy’s eyes as he leaned over him. “Loser!” he said and walked off leading the group of boys in Teddy’s class.

“Maybe they’re right. Maybe I’m really am a loser,” he said sadly as he and Gigi walked further and further into the forest. “Maybe mother is right. Maybe dreams really do belong in the sky.”

            Teddy Redsun was so deep in thought that he did not realize that the orange glow from the sun had long since gone down. The velvet darkness felt cool and comforting to him. “I wish I was invisible,” he said softly to Gigi who kept close at his heels.

Just as Teddy said those words a small glowing turquoise light caught his eye. It shone like a firefly and Teddy was drawn toward it.

            Teddy Redsun picked up the glowing light and when he rolled it over in his palm he felt its smooth round shape. It was a stone. Teddy put the glow-in-the-dark stone in his pocket and made his way home.

            “Look closely at the stone and I will explain. The turquoise, you see, is the color of the sea and the sky. Do you see the dark webbing that runs through it?”

            “Yes,” Teddy said, looking even closer at the small object that seemed to glow even brighter in his Grandfather’s old palm. “The webbing on the turquoise stone is the streams and the rivers that run from the mountains to the seas in all the lands of the world. It links all people of all the races together.” “Wow!” Teddy Redsun said, “Wow!”  He said again.

“Praise him, praise him Give thanks to the father in heaven” He sang for his people. He sang for his father up in heaven. He sang until his mother’s frown became a smile. He sang for his Grandfather who he loved so very much. “Creek, Choctaw, Cherokee Chickasaw, Seminole East Coast, West Coast, let’s ride. All tribes worldwide!”  He belted out the words. He sang for his dog Gigi who was his most trusted fan. He sang for Big Bull who stood with his mouth hanging wide open. He sang for his friends Mohican Dance and Little Buck who were dancing in the isle. He sang for his tribes and for all the people of the world.