The Golden Flower: A Taino Myth from Puerto Rico

by Nina Jaffe, Enrique O Sanchez (Illustrator)

Overview

Long ago, the island of Puerto Rico was called Boriquen . . . . And so begins this myth from the Taino, one of the indigenous cultures of the West Indies. Exquisitely penned by a gifted storyteller, this unique tale tells how a golden flower brought water to the world. Full color. Baby/Preschool.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781558854529
Publisher:	Arte Publico Press
Publication date:	06/28/2005
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	580L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

Editorial Reviews

The style is simple, but this popular Taino Indian creation story gets rather complicated. In the beginning, people live on a single mountain. After a boy finds and plants some seeds, a beautiful forest grows on the mountain top. When two men fight over an enormous, noisy "calabaza" (pumpkin) in the forest, it rolls down the mountain, crashes on a rock, and splits wide open; the ocean with all its creatures spills out. Luckily, the waters stop rising when they reach the forest. Thus, the island of Puerto Rico is born. Glowing colors, stylized figures, and overlays are the hallmarks of the eye-catching art, while the spare, clipped prose makes this a folktale beginning readers can tackle. An illuminating author's note is appended.

Julie Corsaro

The island of Puerto Rico, originally called Boriquen by its Taino inhabitants, was once, according to legend, a barren mountain. A child, looking for food, collected a pouch full of seeds and planted them at the top of the mountain, which then sprouted a forest. A vine in the forest grew a magnificent orange flower, from which emerged an enormous golden "globe that shone like the sun"-a pumpkin (calabaza). Unbeknownst to the people, this pumpkin contained the sea. When two men, fighting over the pumpkin, dropped it, it rolled down the mountain, where it burst open, releasing the sea and "whales, dolphins, crabs, and sunfish." The waters rose until they stopped at the edge of the magic forest, creating the island of Boriquen. Beautifully and simply written, this little-known tale is a welcome addition to creation myths. Unfortunately, although Jaffe acknowledges help in ascertaining "historical and linguistic accuracy and detail," she includes no original source. The illustrations in luscious tropical colors, with shapes and patterns (especially spirals) reminiscent of pre-Columbian art, are perfect. (Picture book/folktale. 5-10)

Kirkus Reviews