The Sea-Ringed World: Sacred Stories of the Americas

by María García Esperón, Amanda Mijangos (Illustrator), David Bowles (Translator)

Overview

Fifteen thousand years before Europeans stepped foot in the Americas, people had already spread from tip to tip and coast to coast. Like all humans, these Native Americans sought to understand their place in the universe, the nature of their relationship with the divine, and the origin of the world into which their ancestors had emerged.

The answers lay in their sacred stories.

Author María García Esperón, illustrator Amanda Mijangos, and translator David Bowles have gifted us a treasure. Their talents have woven this collection of stories from nations and cultures across our two continents—the Sea-Ringed World, as the Aztecs called it—from the edge of Argentina all the way up to Alaska.

The Em Querido list seeks to introduce the finest books in translation from around the world to an American audience. We feel lucky to be bringing you this book on our inaugural list, which we hope will be a true window and mirror

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781646140169
Publisher:	Levine Querido
Publication date:	02/23/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	978,715
File size:	152 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

María García Esperón was born in Mexico City and has won many awards including the Hispanic American Poetry Award for Children. Her novel Dido for Aeneas was selected in 2016 on the IBBY Honour List.
Amanda Mijangos was born in Mexico City and is the founder of the illustration studio Cuarto para las 3. Her work has been recognized with awards several times and in 2017 she was the winner of the VIII Iberoamerica Illustra Catalog.
David Bowles is a Mexican American author and translator from South Texas. Among his multiple award-winning books are Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky: Myths of Mexico, and They Call Me Güero. In 2017, David was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters.

Table of Contents

Spider Grandmother Hopi 1

Aztlan Mexico (Nahua) 4

Bacabs Maya 7

Bochica Maisca 11

Coatlicue Mexico (Nahuo) 15

Hummingbird Guarani 19

Great Flood Andean 24

Golden King Muisca 28

Brave Souls of the Dead Mapuche 33

Bunched Stars Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) 38

Sak Nikte Maya 42

Land of Fire Selk'nam (Ona) 46

Guabancex Taino 51

Guahayona Taino 53

Hun and Vucub K'iche' (Maya) 57

Hurakan K'iche' (Maya) 63

Ixquic the Maiden K'iche' (Maya) 66

K'awil and the Prince Mopan (Maya) 71

Iztaccihuatl and Popocatepetl Nahua 75

Heart of the Mountain Nahua 81

Ball Game K'iche' (Maya) 85

Kukulkan Yucatec and K'iche' (Maya) 90

Kuyen Mapuche 93

Llorona Nahua and colonial 97

Aakulujjuusi and Uumarnituq Inuit 100

Mayahuel Nahua 104

Monetá Muisca 108

Nahual Nahua 112

Nanahuatzin Nahua 118

Ñamandú Guarani 121

Ñandesy Guarani 126

White-faced Bear Alutiiq (Sugpiaq) 130

Oxomoco and Cipactonal Nahua 136

Xochipilli and Xochiquetzal Nahua 139

Pacha Kamaq, Andean 142

Shepherd and Maiden Andean 147

Quetzalcoatl Toltec (Nahua) 155

Quilaztli Mexico (Nahua) 160

Oak Tree Oceti Sakowin (Sioux) 163

Rimac Andean 169

Sedna Inuit 173

Sibo Cabecar and Bribri 176

Tamoanchan Nahua 179

Tlalocan Nahua 183

Uirapuru Guarani 188

Universe Mexico (Nahua) 192

Blue Deer Wixarika (Huichol) 197

Viracocha Andean 201

Gichi-manidoo Ojibwe 205

Waleker Wayuu 209

Xibalba K'iche' (Maya) 213

XolotI Nahua 219

Yaya and Yayael Taino 222

Yupanqui Andean 226

Cemis Taino 229

Zamna Itsa (Maya) 232

Back Matter (Transcription of Indigenous Terms Pronunciation Guide A Quick Guide to Cultures Map Glossary Bibliography) 236

Editorial Reviews

[STAR] “Visually striking...full of vivid language.” -Publishers Weekly (starred),


“Evocative and stirring...mesmerizing to read aloud.”-The Wall Street Journal,


“Hypnotizing...Provocative...Disarming” -New York Times,


[STAR] “The language sparkles and the tales beg to be read aloud.” -School Library Connection (starred),


[STAR] "Spellbinding....Begs to be read aloud.” -Kirkus (starred),


[STAR] “Impressive, handsome, and universally appealing.” -Horn Book (starred),


[STAR] “A rich anthology to understand and delight in Native traditions.” -Booklist (starred),


[STAR] “Breathtaking and simply beautiful.” -School Library Journal (starred),


“David Bowles’ graceful translation renders this volume an excellent addition to any storytelling collection.” -The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books,


“Visually arresting, captivating collection of traditional stories.” -Shelf-Awareness,


“With its one-of-a-kind art to accompany each tale, it is a collection that will appeal to children, but also to any lover and collector of books." -BookRiot,


"In this Mexican import, Esperón retells sacred stories from 18 Native cultures. Complemented by stylized artwork that combines Native motifs with looser, modern lines, the short stories reflect a wonder and understanding of the natural world and the human spirit."" - Booklist

From the Publisher

★ 05/01/2021

Gr 5 Up—This text features sacred stories that have been passed down within and by Indigenous cultures of the Americas for thousands of years. Each of these mesmerizing stories pulls readers in, leaving them wishing they could remain within these worlds much longer. Tales provide lessons humans should heed and stories about how things came to be, such as the stars, the sun, and the moon. Some stories, such as "Hummingbird" from the Guarani tradition, tell of tragedies and love; others, such as "Kukulkan" from the Yucatec and K'iche' tradition and "Land of Fire" from the Selk'nam tradition tell of how some things came to be and about the gods' interactions with one another. Stories pass on messages of hope and resilience, but also provide events filled with sadness and tragedy. The vibrant blue, black, and white palette used in the illustrations brings events from the stories beautifully to life. A pronunciation guide, "Quick Guide to Cultures" featured in the text, map, and glossary add to the richness of this title. VERDICT Highly recommended for readers young and old, this work is breathtaking and simply beautiful.—Selenia Paz, Harris County P.L., Houston

School Library Journal

With aplomb, translator and narrator David Bowles delivers a wide-ranging collection of traditional tales from Native cultures across the Americas. Speaking in American-accented English, Bowles manages to be expressive and serious without veering into hokeyness; his unobtrusive approach gives primacy to the stories themselves. Packed with gods and humans, creation and transformation, the stories all begin with a few lines of verse, which aids in transitioning from one brief tale to the next. Some listeners may prefer to take in only a few tracks at a time so that they're not overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of characters and cultures depicted. Regardless of how listeners choose to experience it, this accessible audio anthology is both important and entertaining. R.A.H. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2021 - AudioFile