Abrams Books for Young Readers | 978-1419740206
A few weeks ago, I had the good fortune to attend Gloria Amescua‘s book launch for her beautiful debut, Child of the Flower-Song People: Luz Jiménez, Daughter of the Nahua. At the time, I had no idea that I already “knew” Luz Jiménez. I was about to learn more…
Born in 1897 of Nahua descent, Luz was raised in the small farming community of Milpa Alta, a little more than an hour south of Mexico City. As a child, Luz:
“listened as the elders repeated tales their grandfathers had told. Tales their grandfathers’ grandfathers had told: how sacred streams and mountains protect them, how the Nahua lost their land to Cortés, the conqueror, and to the Spaniards who followed him.”
CLICK TO ENLARGE © Illustration by Duncan Tonatiuh
Luz was intensely curious and learned the things her mother taught her – “how to grind corn in a metate, how to twist yarn with her toes, how to weave on a loom.”
CLICK TO ENLARGE © Illustration by Duncan Tonatiuh
A desire to teach others began to grow in her heart, but by the time Luz was 19, the Mexican Revolution had destroyed her home and forced her and her remaining family members to flee Milpa Alta for the outskirts of Mexico City.
Within a few years, Luz was posing as a model. That’s when I realized I had seen her in the paintings of some of Mexico’s most well-known artists of the twentieth century – Diego Rivera, Fernando Leal, and José María Urbina.
Amescua’s lyrical prose creates a beautiful canvas for Duncan Tonatiuh‘s award-winning illustrations, his style inspired by Pre-Columbian art. Amescua and Tonatiuh’s engaging biography preserves Luz’s legacy and reminds “new generations to treasure their native traditions.”
Follow the links to see Luz featured in these works of art:
- “La Maestra Rural” by Diego Rivera
- “La Molendera” by Diego Rivera
Learn more about Luz Jiménez in this article by Natasha Varner: Meet Doña Luz Jiménez,
Enjoy this STORYMAKERS video with Duncan Tonatiuh
Find Educator Resources to accompany the book
