Marcie Aboff, illustrated by Zachary Trover,
Guatemala ABCs: A Book About the People and Places of Guatemala
Picture Window Books, 2006.

Ages 5-10

Guatemala’s history, geography and culture are all explored in this absorbing ABC book.  The clearly defined watercolor illustrations provide a springboard for younger children to absorb images of the country: its food, its animals and birds, its transport (B is for bus – a brightly colored vehicle with lots of luggage on the roof).   Young independent readers can use the pictures to dip into the accompanying text as they leaf through the book.  Who can fail to be intrigued by the shadowy animal and bird outlines accompanying people walking down a street under ‘N is for nahual’, the Mayan ‘spirit companions – similar to guardian angels’?  Older readers will be able to use it like a dictionary to gain insight into the country, not only from the text for each letter but also from the ‘fast facts’ frequently attached to them - such as Guatemala’s currency, the quetzal, being named after its beautiful national bird.  The implications of some of the succinctly-relayed information will also have impact for older readers: for example, P is for Peace, which looks forward into Guatemala’s future, following the long years from 1960 to 1996 when ‘Guatemala suffered from violence’.  There is also extra information for older readers at the end in the form of ‘Guatemala in Brief’, ‘Say it in Spanish’, a Glossary and a short list of other books to be found ‘At the Library’.

This is a useful tool for introducing Guatemala to young people.  The colors and optimism portrayed are contagious and readers should emerge with a strong impression of why the country is often called the ‘Land of Eternal Spring’.

Marjorie Coughlan
September 2006