Child of the Flower Song People: Luz Jimenez, Daughter of the Nahua
by Gloria Amescua, Illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh
Book Cover Picture:
Category: Pura Belpre Winner
Target Age Group:Ages 6-10, grades 1-5
Format: Paperback
Summary: This story follows Luz Jimenz, an Indigenous Nahua girl. She always wanted to be a teacher and keep the traditions of her people alive. During the Mexican Revolution she was forced into a school and ripped from her traditions. She works hard to keep her people's traditions alive and eventually makes it back to her homeland to teach the ways of her people to the next generation.
Justification: This book is a winner of the Pura Belpre Honor Award. It is a biographical story about Luz Jimenez that is easy to digest for younger readers.
Review: This review will examine the illustrations, the biographical natures of the book and the overall experience.
The illustrations were beautifully done in the traditional Nahua style. I appreciated the authenticity of the images which helped further the historical aspect of the book. Many of the pages had dual page, full spread art that helps to immerse yourself into the story. I read this story to my nine year old daughter who thought the ears were drawn "funny". That lent itself to a lesson on Nahua and other Aztec cultures and the significance of their earring traditions.
Nonfiction stories, like this biography, can be hard to enjoy for a lot of young readers. This story, however, was a great combination of facts and story. The way the author chose to tell us about Luz Jimenez read more like a story than a history lesson. There were a lot of hard facts shared, like the colonization of her homeland and the way children were forced into schools and the suppression of their culture. However, it was presented in a easily digestible story about a young girl.
The illustrations were beautifully done in the traditional Nahua style. I appreciated the authenticity of the images which helped further the historical aspect of the book. Many of the pages had dual page, full spread art that helps to immerse yourself into the story. I read this story to my nine year old daughter who thought the ears were drawn "funny". That lent itself to a lesson on Nahua and other Aztec cultures and the significance of their earring traditions.
Nonfiction stories, like this biography, can be hard to enjoy for a lot of young readers. This story, however, was a great combination of facts and story. The way the author chose to tell us about Luz Jimenez read more like a story than a history lesson. There were a lot of hard facts shared, like the colonization of her homeland and the way children were forced into schools and the suppression of their culture. However, it was presented in a easily digestible story about a young girl.
Since there are a lot of facts being shared and a history to share, the book is pretty dense. There are a lot of words on each page that could deter some younger readers. This story may be better shared during story time where kids can follow along, enjoy the images and learn the oral history, like the Nahua do. This story has a lot of themes that can lead to further discussions and really make kids think. I always appreciate a story that will get children engaged beyond story time.
Overall I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. The history that was shared was though provoking and the images were fun to view.
Overall I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. The history that was shared was though provoking and the images were fun to view.
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