What lies behind the brilliant colors and intricate patterns of a traditional Mayan tunic? A Guatemalan girl reveals the ways a handwoven garment connects her to generations of women before her. A young girl proudly wears a colorful tunic, or huipil, that features the sun's reflection. It symbolizes the lake she lives on, a design she sometimes embellishes with shimmering sequins and beads. Her abuela's huipil highlights zigzag mountains to stand for her home of origin, while her sister's boasts butterflies like the ones that she rides in her daydreams. Indigenous to Mesoamerica, huipils use colors, imagery, symbols, and motifs to evoke everything from the wearer's village to her social status, from her cultural heritage to the things that she loves. Combining a poetic text with vivid cut paper and digitally painted illustrations, interwoven with patterns from the huipils, this captivating book ends with an author's note exploring the history and process of this rich tradition, and the challenges of keeping it alive.

Autorentext
Nydia Armendia-Sánchez is the author of Not Far from Here, **illustrated by Devon Holzwarth, and Frida Kahlo’s Flower Crown, illustrated by Loris Lora. A We Need Diverse Books Walter Grant finalist, she strives for inclusivity and diversity in all her creative endeavors and draws inspiration for her libros from her children as well as her Guatemalan and Basque heritage. Nydia Armendia-Sánchez lives in California.

Dana Sanmar is a Colombian illustrator who primarily uses a combination of cut paper and digital painting as her medium. She is the illustrator of I Know Who I Am by Dorena Williamson and has illustrated numerous book covers, including for the middle-grade novel Lotería by Karla Arenas Valenti. Originally from Colombia, Dana Sanmar lives in Atlanta.

Klappentext

"An excellent tribute to a cultural art form that should be featured in all picture book collections." —School Library Journal (starred review)
**
¿Qué hay detrás de los colores brillantes e intricados diseños de una túnica tradicional maya? Una niña guatemalteca revela las maneras en que una vestimenta tejida a mano la conecta con generaciones de mujeres antes que ella.

What lies behind the brilliant colors and intricate patterns of a traditional Mayan tunic? A Guatemalan girl reveals the ways a handwoven garment connects her to generations of women before her.**

Juntos, los hilos de mi huipil
guardan un mensaje,
y una historia
sobre quiénes somos.

Sobre quién soy yo.

Una muchacha luce con orgullo una colorida túnica o huipil, que incluye el reflejo del sol. Simboliza el lago donde vive, un diseño que ella a veces realza con relucientes lentejuelas y cuentas. El huipil de su abuela destaca montañas serpenteantes que simbolizan su tierra natal, mientras que el de su hermana está adornado de mariposas, como las que ella monta en su imaginación. Los huipiles son autóctonos de Mesoamérica, y tienen colores, imágenes, símbolos y detalles que evocan desde la aldea de donde proviene la que lo viste hasta su estatus social, desde su herencia cultural hasta las cosas que ama. Este cautivante libro combina un texto poético con brillantes recortes de papel e ilustraciones pintadas digitalmente, entretejidas con patrones de los huipiles. Termina con una nota del autor donde relata la historia y el proceso de esta rica tradición y el reto de mantenerla viva.
*
Together, the threads in my huipil*
hold a message,
tell a story
of who we are.

Of who I am.

A young girl proudly wears a colorful tunic, or huipil, that features the sun’s reflection. It symbolizes the lake she lives on, a design she sometimes embellishes with shimmering sequins and beads. Her abuela’s huipil highlights zigzag mountains to stand for her home of origin, while her sister’s boasts butterflies like the ones that she rides in her daydreams. Indigenous to Mesoamerica, huipils use colors, imagery, symbols, and motifs to evoke everything from the wearer’s village to her social status, from her cultural heritage to the things that she loves. Combining a poetic text with vivid cut paper and digitally painted illustrations, interwoven with patterns from the huipils, this captivating book ends with an author’s note exploring the history and process of this rich tradition, and the challenges of keeping it alive.