Discusses the mythology from Indians of various regions of Mexico and Central America, describing origins, comparing the similar tales, and presenting some of the myths themselves.
The Mythology Of Mexico And Central America
Indigenous
La Zariguerya Y El Gran Creador De Fuego- Opossum And The Great Filmmaker
Relates the traditional Cora Indian tale in which Opossum outwits the larger and more powerful Iguana and returns the stolen fire to the people of the earth.
Relata el cuentro tradicional de India Cora en el cual la Zarigueya es mas astuta que la poderosa y grande Iguana y devuelve el fuego a la gente del mundo.
The Sad Night: The Story Of An Aztec Victory And A Spanish Loss
An account of the establishment of the Aztec empire in Mexico and of the terrible battle between the Aztecs and the Spaniards known as the Sad Night, of La Noche Triste.
“This sensitive treatment of La Noche Triste, or The Sad Night, the last battle the Aztecs won against the Spaniards, is a highly effective melding of graceful, lucid text and stylized art. Designed to resemble Aztec codices, the illustrations appear in double-page strips above the bordered text. Beginning with the Aztec migration to Tenochtitlán (now Mexico City), the history of this people is traced through their final conquest by Cortés’s forces…. This title has the distinction of combining myth with historical fact in a particularly successful manner. An engaging introduction to Mexican history.” —School Library Journal
La Flor de Oro: Un Mito Taino de Puerto Rico (Spanish Edition)
Nina Jaffe’s acclaimed retelling of an Indigenous creation myth about the birth of Puerto Rico, The Golden Flower, in a Spanish edition. The Taínos called their beloved island, Boriquén. This is their story of how Boriquén came to be. In the beginning, there is only a giant mountain above a dry plain without water or plants. A child walking over the flat land below the mountain finds seeds dancing in the wind. When he plants the seeds on the top of the mountain, a forest grows on the crest and in that forest, a large golden flower appears. Soon, the boy and his community reap benefits that they had never before imagined. A joyful creation myth about the evolution of a beautiful island habitat, this picture book is also a celebration of the young boy’s quest, which encourages readers to respect the gifts of the winds and the cycle of nature that bears fruit for the whole community.
Morning Girl
Morning Girl, who loves the day, and her younger brother Star Boy, who loves the night, take turns describing their life on an island in pre-Columbian America; in Morning Girl’s last narrative, she witnesses the arrival of the first Europeans to her world.
Atariba and Niguayona: A Story from the Taino People of Puerto Rico
A Taino Indian legend about a young boy and his search for the healing caimoni tree.
Sweetgrass Basket
In alternating passages, two Mohawk sisters describe their lives at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, established in 1879 to educate Native Americans, as they try to assimilate into white culture and one of them is falsely accused of stealing.
Featured in Volume I, Issue 3 of WOW Review.
Arrow To the Sun 30th Anniversary Edition
Viking is proud to announce a special 30th anniversary hardcover edition of Arrow to the Sun, Gerald McDermott’s powerful rendering of an ancient Pueblo Indian legend. A true classic that has taken its place in the pantheon of children’s literature, this book vividly evokes the Native American reverence for the source of all life–the Solar Fire. Acclaimed for its bold and vibrant illustrations, Arrow to the Sun was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1975.
Home of the Brave
Following a kayaking accident, a man experiences the feelings of Japanese-American children interned during World War II and children on Indian reservations.
Take a closer look at Home of the Brave as examined in WOW Review.
Amrica Is Her Name
Set in the Pilsen barrio of Chicago, this children’s picture book gives a heartwarming message of hope. The heroine, Amrica, is a primary school student who is unhappy in school until a poet visits the class and inspires the students to express themselves creatively-in Spanish or English. Amrica Is Her Name emphasizes the power of individual creativity in overcoming a difficult environment and establishing self-worth and identity through the young girl Amrica’s desire and determination to be a writer. This story deals realistically with the problems in urban neighborhoods and has an upbeat theme: you can succeed in spite of the odds against you. Carlos Vzquez’s inspired four-color illustrations give a vivid sense of the barrio, as well as the beauty and strength of the young girl Amrica.Luis J. Rodrguez grew up in Watts and East L.A. His bestselling memoir about gang life, Always Running (now available in paperback in both English and Spanish from Touchstone Books), won the Carl Sandburg Award. His Poems Across the Pavement (Ta Chucha Press) won the Poetry Center Book Award from San Francisco State University, and his poetry collection, The Concrete River was awarded the 1991 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Award for Poetry. Mr. Rodrguez has worked extensively with gang members to guide them in positive directions, and he is frequently featured as a keynote speaker or guest poet at national conferences and cultural centers. Rodrguez explores the Chicano experience with an unrelenting, socially conscious eye that moved Larry Weintraub of the Chicago Sun-Times to call him a poet “we need to hear.”Illustrator Carlos Vzquez was born in Mexico, studied physics and art, and now teaches in adult education programs in New York City.This book is also available in a Spanish language edition as La llaman Amrica translated by Tino Villanueva. 1-880684-41-1