Rainbow Weaver /Tejedora del Arcoiris by
Linda Elovitz Marshall and illustrated by
Elisa Chavarri is a book anyone who is interested in Guatemala should read. Ixchel is a Mayan girl who would like to weave colorful cloth to sell like her mother does. Her family does not have extra thread for weaving, so Ixchel cannot help or make her own things to sell. She looks for something she could use for her weaving. After trying several things, she stumbles across the idea of taking the colored plastic bags which are lying around everywhere and using them. The story highlights the ingenuity and resilience of the Mayan people. Some of the small details in the story reminded me of little bits of the Guatemalan culture and the reality of the poverty there. If you are looking for stories to help children understand more of the world beyond our country, add this bilingual book to your list.
