Description

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When David, a 10-year-old American boy, is brought by his archeologist father to the rain forests of Guatemala in search of an ancient and previously unexplored Mayan city, the last thing he expects is to meet the Mayan god of children and to be carried back in time more than a thousand years to when the city is facing destruction from the Alliance of all the other Mayan cities of the region, under the rule of a power-hungry despot who aims to unite Mayadom under his cruel rule. With the help of the god of children, known as the Liffy, and the young son of the city's war-chief, David confronts the priests of the city who consider him a white-skinned demon. When the city's army is defeated in battle by the Alliance and the war-chief and his son are captured, David is seized by the priests as a sacrifice to appease the god. Saved by the Liffy, boy and god set out on a journey through the jungles of Mayadom to the city of Tikal, center of the Alliance, to rescue their friends. After tricking the priests and ruler of Tikal and winning the traditional Mayan ball game against Tikal's greatest players (by utilizing David's modern basket-ball abilities), the war-chief is able to escape and rally his warriors for a great victory over the Alliance. The Liffy tells David it is time to return to his own time after saving the city, but his memory will remain in Mayan legend as the white-skinned stranger who came to help them in their hour of greatest need.

About the Author

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Leo Eaton is an American documentary filmmaker responsible for hundreds of hours of prime time and children's television for networks in America and around the world. He has received many of television's top honors, including two News & Documentary Emmy Awards. His many credits as producer and/or executive producer include British historian Michael Wood's STORY OF INDIA and STORY OF CHINA, Bruce Feiler's SACRED JOURNEYS and ARTS & THE MIND with Lisa Kudrow. He produced National Geographic Channel's Emmy Award-winning special CAN THE GULF SURVIVE? about the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and co-created and executive produced PBS's award-winning children's series ZOBOOMAFOO with the Kratt Brothers. His 2002 book IN SEARCH OF ANCIENT IRELAND, companion to his American & Irish television series of the same name, remains a popular seller. Before settling in the United States, British-born Leo Eaton spent 16 years traveled widely through Europe and the Americas, at one time sharing an office with cult filmmaker Ed Wood Jr. and directing iconic British puppet series like CAPTAIN SCARLET & THE MYSTERONS and JOE 90. These years are the subject of his 2016 memoir THE TRAVELING YEARS, A MEMOIR OF PUPPETS, PORNO & PENURY. Between 1969 and 1973 Leo Eaton spent much of each year in San Miguel d'Allende in Mexico and this time became the inspiration for CITY OF THE WHISPERING FOREST. Leo Eaton currently lives in Santa Fe, NM.