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Nobel Peace Prize winner and noted Maya activist Rigoberta Menchú Tum brings the world of her childhood vividly to life in The Girl from Chimel. This evocative memoir for children is beautifully illustrated by noted Mazatec-Mexican artist Domi.
Before the thirty-six-year war in Guatemala, despite the hardships the Maya people had endured since the time of the Conquest, life in their highland villages had a beauty and integrity that were changed forever by the conflict and brutal genocide that were to come. Through stories of her grandparents and parents and of the natural world, and her retellings of the stories that she was told as a young girl, Rigoberta Menchú presents a rich, humorous and engaging picture of that lost world.
Key Text Features
illustrations
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.2
Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.
“[Menchu's] writing evokes a world of wild, friendly magic in which every living creature has its own spirit double.” — Horn Book
“...a vivid memoir of [Menchu's] girlhood in the then unspoiled village of Chimel...the book memorializes an idyllic interdependency between the human and the natural...” — Canadian Literature
“...the text throughout is captivating and provides a rare glimpse at indigenous Guatemalan and Mayan culture.” — Bulletin
“Created with strong, primitive forms and vibrant colors, full-page oil paintings brighten half the double-page spreads and provide memorable scenes of Chimel through three generations.” — Booklist
“Domi...adds full-page, folk-art style scenes in glowing colors...the effect is as atmospheric as the text.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Domi's colorful flat oil paintings, with traditional Mayan symbols and motifs, perfectly complement this collection.” — Book Links
“This slim book would be a welcome addition to a school or public library.” — Resource Links