Just who was this prehistoric pied piper? About 1,500 years ago, the hunchbacked flute-playing figure we call Kokopelli first appeared in North American rock art. Today he decorates everything from jewelry to potholders. Whether originally he was a deity, a trickster, a wandering Casanova, a fertility symbol, or just a traveling salesman carrying goods on his back, there's no doubt he got around. Kokopelli shows up in rock and ceramic art all across the Southwest-even as far north as the Canadian Rockies. Stories of insect-like, fun-loving flute players abound in Pueblo traditions. He seems to have served many cultures, including our own. One thing is clear, however: much of what we think we know about the humpbacked figure known today as "Kokopelli" is based on a modern misunderstanding.

Capture the spirit of the West in the palm of your hand. Each book in the Look West Series presents in words and pictures a unique aspect of the American West.

Baby Birds
Buffalo
Coyotes
Desert Babies A-Z
Javelinas
Kokopelli
Roadrunners