Reviewed by Beverly Slapin
Review Source: De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children
Book Author: Rigoberta Menchú
It is in the hearts of the people of Chimel, then and now, that the old stories reside. Traditionally, told stories such as the ones in Menchú’s trilogy teach children how the world works. For young Rigoberta and other Mayan children, this is how they are taught about the history of the land and right behavior; about compassion, courage, and generosity; about asking permission from the nahuales, the spirits who reside in everything; about planting seeds and harvesting fruits; and ultimately, about fighting injustice and struggling for a better world. Continue reading.
The Girl from Chimel by Rigoberta Menchú
Published by Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press on 2005
Genres: Central America, Family
Pages: 54
Reading Level: Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8
ISBN: 9780888996664
Review Source: De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children
Also by this author: The Honey Jar, The Secret Legacy
Nobel Peace Prize winner and Mayan activist Rigoberta Menchz brings the world of her earliest childhood vividly to life in this colorful book. Before the war in Guatemala and despite the hardships that the Mayan people endured, life in the Mayan villages of the highlands had a beauty and integrity. This was forever changed by the conflict and brutal genocide that was to come. Menchz's stories of her grandparents and parents, of the natural world that surrounded her, and her retelling of the stories that she was told present a rich, humorous, and engaging portrait of that lost world. Domi draws on the Mayan landscape and rich craftwork to create the stunning illustrations that complement this engaging story."
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