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When I was growing up, one of my favorite things was to hear about the lives of my parents and grandparents. I remember asking my family to tell me their childhood stories over and over, until their words turned into memories inside my own head. I think most families have this “collective memory” that bonds us to one another through the sharing of experiences and traditions. How many of you “remember” the story of your parents’ romance or other events from their lives before you were born? Maybe this act of sharing memories is actually invaluable to children, as it allows us to relate to our parents on a level other than our normal child/parent roles. I think it is especially important to see both the good times as well as the difficult ones, because this allows a child to begin to understand the concepts of resilience and healing.
As a result, I was immediately drawn to one of Groundwood Books’ newest releases by husband and wife team, Antonio Ramírez and Domi. Napí funda un pueblo, Napí Makes a Village is the story of a young Mazateca girl, who remembers when her family and friends were made to leave their village and settle in a new land. Forced by the government to leave their precious homeland so that a dam could be built, Napí’s family travels far into the jungle to begin a new life. Once there, they face challenges and difficulty as they settle into their new home, such as clearing the land, wild animals (a jaguar), and the dangers of harvesting. Based on the illustrator’s own life story, the message is strong and powerful, but gently delivered.
En aquellos tiempos no había caminos por estos lugares. Cada domingo, mi papá se iba caminando por la orilla del río hast una población lejana donde se paraba el tren. Allí compraba arroz, frijol, manteca, azúcar, sal y muchas cosas más para alimentarnos. Salía antes de que amaneciera y volvía al anochecer. Estábamos haciendo nacer a Nuevo Ixcatlán, y eso nos exigía sacraficios.
In those first days there were no roads in this place. Every Sunday my father walked along the river to a faraway town. A train stopped there so he could buy rice, beans, lard, sugar, salt and lots of other things to eat. He would leave before dawn and come back as the sun was going down. We were giving birth to Nuevo Ixcatlán, and that meant we had to make sacrifices.
The entire book is rich with visual imagery reflecting the vivid colors of the jungle and culture of the people. Domitila Domínguez, otherwise known as simply Domi, is considered to be one of the most important indigenous book artists in the Americas. Her many works include other books in this series, as well as The Night the Moon Fell: A Maya Myth, La noche que se cayó la luna by Pat Mora, and The Story of Colors by Zapatista hero Sub-Comandante Marcos.
Napí funda un pueblo, Napí Makes a Village is a valuable addition to any bilingual family’s home library. Teachers will also love this book as wonderful supplement to the following topics/themes: immigration, family, displacement, political repression, exploitation, indigenous cultures, family relationships, and nature. It is a good read for children ages 4 and up. Written with full text in both English and Spanish. The English translation is done by Elisa Amado.
Napí Makes a Village is just one more outstanding title from Groundwood Books, whose selection offers stories that are culturally rich and authentic in a way not offered by most publishers. Visit their Latino Book section for a complete list of titles.
If you would like to buy your own copy of Napí, please click here. Or you can follow the link in our sidebar to the LBBC’s on-line store. We have both new and gently used copies available.
