Rigoberta Menchú with Dante Liano, illustrated by Domi.
The Girl from Chimel
Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press, 2005.

Rating: E*

Rigoberta Menchu, 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner and Guatamalan activist along with Dante  Liano has written a memoir of her childhood in Chimel, a village high up in the mountains. Each of the charming stories depicts traditional Mayan social and life and customs. Menchu’s grandfather told these stories to his granddaughter and this is her recollection of their time together. The tales of their Mayan ancestors include a Creation story and several "Pourquoi or Why" stories including why the rabbit has a little cotton tail and why mice have smooth tails and bulging eyes. Other stories describe healing medicines from plants and herbs and the interdependence of man and animals.

Each of the vivid illustrations found throughout the volume has been drawn by native Mexican artist Domi. They capture the idyllic life among the villagers and complement the text.

The book includes a glossary of local words found in the stories. The inclusion of a pronunciation guide would have been a useful tool for non-Spanish speakers.

Thematic Links: Indigenous Life in Central America; Guatemalan/Mayan Culture and Customs; Folk Tales; Family Relationships.

Suzanne Finkelstein
Vol. 11, number 2
December 2005

*Rating System:
E - Excellent, enduring, everyone should see it!
G - Good, even great at times, generally useful!
A - Average, all right, has its applications.
P - Problematic, puzzling, poorly presented.