  | Child of the flower-song people : Luz Jimenez, daughter of the Nahua Author: Amescua, Gloria | |
| Price: $23.28 | ||
Summary:
A fictionalized account of a Nahua woman who grew up in Mexico during the early 1900s, became a model for artists, worked with scholars to preserve the Nahuatl language and stories, and was known as the "soul of Mexico."
| Illustrator: | Tonatiuh, Duncan |
Download a Teacher's Guide| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: LG Reading Level: 5.30 Points: .5 Quiz: 514187 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (07/01/21)
School Library Journal (+) (00/10/21)
Booklist (+) (08/01/21)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 08/01/2021 *Starred Review* Amescua introduces Luz Jiménez, a young Nahua (Aztec) girl living in early twentieth-century Mexico. As a child she learned the ways of her people: grinding corn, weaving yarn, making brooms, and finding medicinal herbs. She listened to stories, became adept at her native language, and, once Indigenous children were allowed to attend school, learned Spanish as well. After her father was killed in the Mexican Revolution, the family moved to Mexico City, where Luz posed for artists (Diego Rivera among them) and informed scholars about Nahua culture and language. Amescua’s spare yet lyrical text reminds readers that Luz was a “child of the flower-song people, / . . . who lost their land, but who did not disappear.” She also notes the harsh treatment Luz endured at government schools designed to stifle Indigenous culture. Tonatiuh’s signature Mixtec-inspired art is a delight. Outlined characters appear in profile, with ovoid-shaped heads and ears resembling the number three, and he often uses collaged textures to color in the images. The referenced flowers appear often, unifying the spreads. Additionally, Luz’s traditional stories are depicted as outlined carvings in the mountainous landscape and seem to emanate from Luz’s mouth somewhat like a speech balloon. Appended with generous back matter, this is a worthy and overdue look at a woman often called “the soul of Mexico.” - Copyright 2021 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 10/01/2021 Gr 1–5—The moving story of one of the biggest cultural influences on Mexican culture. Luz Jiménez loves learning about her Nahua culture—from traditional weaving and cooking to the beautiful stories told by the fire. And even though it means wearing strange European-style clothes, she also loves going to school. Jiménez is sure there's a way to combine her love of her Nahua culture and her growing passion to teach, until the Mexican revolution changes everything. In the aftermath of war, the subject and her family struggle to find their way in Mexico City, until she finds a solution that could save her family and the story of her people. The straightforward text belies a complicated story about the devastating effects of colonization on an Indigenous culture and the complex ways that Jiménez had an immeasurable impact on contemporary Mexican culture. Tonatiuh's beautiful pre-Columbian illustrations provide a vivid play-by-play of events and evoke Jiménez's ultimate impact on the art world. An author's note gives more historical context, and a time line, glossary, and bibliography make this a valuable source for student researchers. Missing are examples of some of the art Jiménez inspired, but students reading this will be impulsed to find those on their own. VERDICT Essential reading about the impacts of colonialism for public and school libraries.—Savannah Kitchens, Parnell Memorial Lib., Montevallo, AL - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
