For as long as Kendrick can remember, he has had a great passion for art. Growing up on the Navajo Nation, he had many long days with little to do. “With only the earth as my canvas and rocks and sticks as my tools, i had to rely largely on my imagination to pass the time. This situation probably contributed to my artistic output unknowingly”, says Kendrick.
Kendrick Benally
Illustrator
Kendrick Benally
Kendrick Benally was born in Tuba City, Arizona, and raised on the southwest region of the Navajo Nation in a rural community named Birdsprings. He is of the Red Running into the Water People, born from the Mexican clan.
Books by Kendrick Benally
Zinnia: How the Corn Was Saved - Illustrator
When the Navajos crops fail yet again, the boy Red Bird is sent to ask Spider Woman for her help. His journey leads him to a flock of sun-yellow birds, a lizard, a Gila monster, and a snake.
To each of the animals, Red Bird asks the same question: Could you tell me where Spider Woman lives?
At last, after traveling in each of the four directions, Red Bird finds Spider Woman sitting in her web. Will she help him?
Frog Brings Rain - Illustrator
As fire creeps toward the village of the First People, First Man and First Woman must find a way to quench the flames. First Woman asks the Bird People, the River People, and the Water People for assistance, but everyone she speaks to has an excuse.