Rainbow Weaver / Tejedora del arcoíris

by Linda Elovitz Marshall, Elisa Chavarri (Illustrator)

Overview

Junior Library Guild Selection

Commended Lists - Américas Book Award, Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs

Choices, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

Bilingual English/Spanish. A young Mayan girl isn't allowed to use her mother's thread to weave, so with a little ingenuity she discovers how to repurpose plastic bags to create colorful weavings. Based on an actual recycling movement in Guatemala.

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 market. If they bring 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780892393749
Publisher:	Lee & Low Books
Publication date:	10/15/2016
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	65,309
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 10.40(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD580L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

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 lives with 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 northern Michigan.

Editorial Reviews

10/24/2016
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. Ages 6–9. Author’s agent: Christa Heschke, McIntosh & Otis. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"An uplifting offering that would be a wonderful addition to picture book collections and STEAM programs." — School Library Journal

"A cheerful tale of innovation with strong multicultural ties." — Booklist

"A buoyant, accessible, if simplified tribute to Mayan weaving." — Kirkus Reviews

Junior Library Guild Selection

Commended Lists - Américas Book Award, Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs

Choices, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

From the Publisher

10/01/2016
K-Gr 3—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.—Katie Darrin, Boulder Valley School District, CO

School Library Journal

2016-08-02
A resourceful Maya girl crafts rainbow-colored fabric out of recycled plastic bags in this modest tale of ingenuity.Ixchel longs to weave beautifully colored fabric just like her mother’s. Alas, Mama tells her that she’s too young to partake in this long-standing Maya tradition. Besides, there isn’t any extra thread for her. The fabric, Mama says, “will help pay for your school and books” if it sells well. Wanting to help pay for these things too, Ixchel gathers some materials to weave her own fabric. Tall blades of grass don’t work—the cloth comes out too small and too scratchy—and using wool results in fabric that’s too dull and too dirty. Undeterred, she gets the idea to use the brightly colored plastic bags that litter her village’s fields. The text is presented in both English and a faithful Spanish translation. Inspired by an organization of weavers in Guatemala, Marshall presents here an uncomplicated story meant to stir and inspire. Chavarri’s digital artwork furthers the inspirational intent: colorful and clean, with ample space for wide-eyed facial expressions on Ixchel and other characters, the pictures provide a clear sense for each story moment. Naturally, Ixchel gets her happy ending, and her village does too. The author's note, however, raises some questions about Maya socio-economic realities that situate this story in a more complicated light. A buoyant, accessible, if simplified tribute to Mayan weaving. (glossary, author’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Review