Mexico

Materials from Mexico

The Goldsmith’s Daughter

A bearer of doom, or a bringer of change? As the Aztec empire falls, one girl defies her destiny.In the golden city of Tenochtitlán, the people live in awe of Emperor Montezuma and in fear of blood-hungry gods. Under an ill-fated sky, a girl is born, facing a life of submission and domestic drudgery. But Itacate has a secret passion for goldwork, forbidden to women, and is forced to disguise her identity to protect herself and her family. When her city is shaken by Cortez’s invasion, Itacate challenges fate, culture, and faith by crafting golden statues — and pursuing the love of a man who should be her enemy. From the author of I AM APACHE comes a tale of clashing cultures, a rich and powerful depiction of Aztec life during the Spanish conquest of Mexico.

El Tigre y El Rayo: The Jaguar and the Lightning

A folktale about a boasting jaguar who is humbled by lightning.

Red Glass

Sixteen-year-old Sophie has been frail and delicate since her premature birth, but discovers her true strength during a journey through Mexico, where the six-year-old orphan her family hopes to adopt was born, and to Guatemala, where her would-be boyfriend hopes to find his mother and plans to remain.

The Bravest Flute: A Story Of Courage In The Mayan Tradition

The Caldecott Honor-winning author of The Village of Round and Square Houses offers an inspirational tale, featuring her own exuberant illustrations, about a brave Mayan boy who leads his village’s New Year’s Day parade, even though he is weak and hungry.

La Lagartija y El Sol / The Lizard And The Sun: A Folktale In English And Spanish

In a folktale illustrated with Aztec-Mexican artwork, the sun falls asleep behind a rock, blanketing the world in darkness, and is discovered by a faithful lizard, who, with the help of the emperor, encourages the sun to wake up.