CLAS K-12 Book Box 3: Indigenous populations in Latin America

Children's Literature

Read Aloud Video

Author Information

A photo of Duncan Tonatiuh

Duncan Tonatiuh (toh-nah-tyou) and his books have received multiple awards and honorable mentions, among them the Pura Belpré Award in 2012, the Tomás Rivera Mexican-American Children’s Book Award in 2012 and 2014, Pura Belpré Honors in 2011 and 2014 and an Américas Award Honor in 2014.

Duncan was born in Mexico City and grew up in San Miguel de Allende. He graduated from Parsons The New School for Design and from Eugene Lang College in New York City in 2008. His work is inspired by Ancient Mexican art, particularly that of the Mixtec codex. His aim is to create images that honor the past, but that address contemporary issues that affect people of Mexican origin on both sides of the border.

Information from a We Need Diverse Books Artist Spotlight

Cultural Context

Vocabulary from The Princess and the Warrior

cenzontle [sen-SON-tleh]: mockingbird. In Nahuatl, the word cenzontle means “bird with a hundred voices.”

chimalli [CHEE-mah-lee]: shield.

citlalli [see-tla-LEE]: star. It is sometimes used as a first name or middle name.

flor y canto [floor ee KHAN-toh]: flower and song. It is the name that the people of the central valley of Mexico gave to poetry before the Spanish conquest.

macuahuitl [MAH-qua-we-tl]: a wooden sword covered with very sharp obsidian blades and was common among various Mesoamerican civilizations.

milpas [MEEL-pahs]: a word that can be translated as “fields.” Milpas are a system of growing crops that dates back to pre- Columbian times.

octli [OC-tlee]: a fermented beverage made from the sap of
the maguey, a type of agave plant. Octli was drunk in pre-Columbian times for ceremonial and religious purposes.
The alcoholic drink continues to be consumed nowadays throughout Mexico and is commonly known as pulque.

petlatl [peh-TLA-tl] or petate [peh-TAH-teh]: a mat woven from the fibers of a small palm. In pre-Columbian times, petlatls were used as bedrolls. They continue to be used today for sleeping and for other purposes.

quetzal [KET-sal]: a type of bird with bright green feathers that can be found in the south of Mexico and in Central America.

tépetl [TEH-peh-tl]: mountain.

tlatoani [tlah-toh-AN-ee]: ruler or king.

tonatiuh [TOH-nah-tee-oo]: sun or sun god. In Aztec mythology there are five sun gods and eras. We are currently in the era of the fifth sun, Ollin Tonatiuh. It is sometimes used as a first name or middle name.

xóchitl [SAW-chee-tl]: flower. It is sometimes used as a first name or middle name.

Popo Iztac.jpg

By Haakon S. Krohn - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17819391

Read more about Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl by clicking on the above image!

 Learning and teaching more about Nahuatl:

- From Vamos a Leer 

Book Overview

Summary

"Award-winning author Duncan Tonatiuh reimagines one of Mexico's cherished legends. Princess Izta had many wealthy suitors but dismissed them all. When a mere warrior, Popoca, promised to be true to her and stay always by her side, Izta fell in love. The emperor promised Popoca if he could defeat their enemy Jaguar Claw, then Popoca and Izta could wed. When Popoca was near to defeating Jaguar Claw, his opponent sent a messenger to Izta saying Popoca was dead. Izta fell into a deep sleep and, upon his return, even Popoca could not wake her. As promised Popoca stayed by her side."-- Provided by publisher

Groups Represented

  • Nahua

Suggested Age and Reading Level

  • 6-9 Years
  • Lexile: 770L

Prevalent Themes

  • Courage
  • Loyalty
  • Acceptance