By
Linda Elovitz Marshall
Illustrated
by Elisa Chavarri
- Age Range: 4 - 8 years
- Grade Level: 1 - 4
- Publisher: Children's Book Press (October 15, 2016)
- Language: English/ Spanish
- ISBN-10: 0892393742
- ISBN-13: 978-0892393749
Ixchel
wants to follow in the long tradition of weaving on backstrap looms, just as
her mother, grandmother, and most Mayan women have done for more than two
thousand years. But Ixchel’s mother is too busy preparing her weavings for the
market. If the weavings sell at a good price, they will have money to pay
for Ixchel’s school and books. And besides, there is not enough extra thread
for Ixchel to practice with.
Disappointed,
Ixchel first tries weaving with blades of grass, and then with bits of wool,
but no one would want to buy the results. As she walks around her village,
Ixchel finds it littered with colorful plastic bags. There is nowhere to put
all the bags, so they just keep accumulating.
Suddenly,
Ixchel has an idea! She collects and washes the plastic bags. Then she cuts
each bag into thin strips. Sitting at her loom, Ixchel weaves the plastic
strips into a colorful fabric that looks like a beautiful rainbow—just like the
weavings of Mayan women before her.
LINDA ELOVITZ MARSHALL grew up near Boston, graduated from
Barnard College, and raised four children and a flock of sheep on a farm in the
Hudson Valley of New York. She is the author of several books for young readers
and was inspired to write this story by dear friends and founders of Mayan
Hands, an organization of weavers in Guatemala. Marshall liveswith her family
in Selkirk, New York.
ELISA CHAVARRI is a full-time illustrator who graduated with
honors from the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she majored in
Classical Animation and minored in Comics. Born in Peru, she now lives with her
husband and their daughter, cat, and dog in northernMichigan.
chel has an idea! She collects and washes the plastic bags. Then
she cuts each bag into thin strips. Sitting at her loom, Ixchel weaves the
plastic strips into a colorful fabric that looks like a beautiful rainbow just
like the weavings of Mayan women before her.
Reviews
A
Guatemalan girl named Ixchel longs to learn how to weave like her mother and
the other women in their community, but her mother tells her that she is too
young and that there isn’t enough thread. Searching for alternative weaving
materials, Ixchel collects the plastic bags that litter the countryside,
tearing them into strips and using them on her homemade loom—while also leaving
her village looking cleaner. Chavarri incorporates bright splashes of color
into her expressive illustrations, which emphasize Ixchel’s innovation and
pride. An author’s note describes the real-life story that inspired Marshall’s
fiction, an inspiring example of ingenuity, dedication, and small actions with
big results. -Publishers Weekly
Fans
of Omar S. Castañeda’s Abuela’s Weave will enjoy this lovely selection about
perseverance, community, and the ancient Mayan art of weaving. In order to earn
money at the market, the women in young Ixchel’s Guatemalan village “weave
thread into fabric as beautiful as a rainbow.” The girl desperately wants to
learn and participate in this traditional art, but her mother gently refuses.
Mama tells her that the money she earns from the cloth will be used to purchase
books and fund an education for Ixchel. The cloth must be eye-catching in order
to earn a good price. Ixchel is disappointed but determined to help and soon
comes up with a creative way to clean up her village and weave a unique type of
cloth. Vibrant illustrations bring the story to life and provide readers with a
glimpse of indigenous Guatemalan culture. The images could also be used during
a discussion about facial expressions and how they communicate emotions. The
English and Spanish texts are clearly delineated. The author incorporates
several words in Kaqchikel, one of the Mayan languages spoken in Guatemala. A
glossary and pronunciation guide are provided at the beginning of the volume. A
detailed author’s note at the narrative’s conclusion explains the inspiration
for this tale. Pair this with a simple weaving project and some primary source
photographs. VERDICT An uplifting offering that would be a wonderful addition
to picture book collections and STEAM programs. -School Library Journal
Ixchel
wants to help her mother weave so that she can pay for her school fees. Because
there isn’t enough thread available, Ixchel must find alternative materials if
she wishes to make weavings to sell at the market. Set in Guatemala and based
on Mayan women’s resourcefulness and the tradition of weaving, Marshall’s
bilingual story tells how Ixchel uses plastic bags littered in her community to
create beautiful, rainbow-colored weavings. Although Marshall relies on the
monolithic term Mayan to describe Ixchel’s background, the
glossary/pronunciation guide provided at the beginning of the book identifies
the Mayan language used briefly in the text as Kaqchikel. Chavarri’s
illustrations bring the story to life, incorporating vibrant colors and
intricate patterns into the characters’ clothes and weavings in a way that
allows young readers to see how the amazing tradition of weaving is passed on
from generation to generation. A cheerful tale of innovation with strong
multicultural ties. For another story on weaving in Guatemala, see Abuela’s
Weave (1995), by Omar S. Catañeda. -Booklist
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