Books at Bedtime: Fiesta Femenina
Fiesta Femenina: Celebrating Women in Mexican Folktale, retold by Mary-Joan Gerson and illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez (Barefoot, 2001) is a vibrant collection of stories which all feature strong women as their main characters – but it’s not just a book for girls. The stories are perfect for reading aloud and boys will listen just as raptly! I can see “Tengo hambre” (I’m hungry) becoming a well-used phrase in our house-hold, after listening to “The Hungry Goddess”, an exciting creation myth.
There are other goddesses:Tanga Yuh, who visits the town of Tehuantpec in the south of Mexico every New Year’s day; and Serpent Goddess, whose love for her daughter saves her from the enchantment that has turned her into the “Green Bird”. Then there’s the story of Blancaflor, the devil’s daughter, who saves Pedro from the pact he has entered into with her parents, El Diablo and La Diablesa. There is also “The Virgin of Guadalupe”, which tells the beautiful story of the Holy Virgin’s appearance to Juan Diego, telling him to go to the Bishop and tell him to build a church on top of the hill of Tepeyac and that she would protect the Indians of Mexico for ever.
My personal favorite is the story of “Why the Moon is Free”, in which the Moon tells her suitor the Sun that before he can marry her, he must make her a gift of beautiful clothing, which must fit her exactly… of course, it never does. I love the way the Sun says “¡Ay, mi amor! Love has stolen your appetite. You are looking so thin.” and then later “Ay, mi amor, you have gotten a little plump” Poor Sun, he simply cannot get the size right! The illustrations here, as indeed throughout the book, are gorgeous – colorful and expressive.
At the end, sources are explained and there’s a glossary and pronunciation guide – both very enriching and useful (some of the names, like Quetzalcóatl and Tezcatlipoca, are quite challenging!); and there is a Spanish edition available too.
