Book description
La Llorona, the Crying Woman, is the legendary creature who haunts
rivers, lakes, and lonely roads. Said to seek out children who disobey
their parents, she has become a "boogeyman," terrorizing the
imaginations of New Mexican children and inspiring them to behave. But
there are other lessons her tragic history can demonstrate for
children. In Rudolfo Anaya's version Maya, a young woman in ancient
Mexico, loses her children to Father Time's cunning. This tragic and
informative story serves as an accessible message of mortality for
children. La Llorona, deftly translated by Enrique Lamadrid, is
familiar and newly informative, while Amy Córdova's rich illustrations
illuminate the story. The legend as retold by Anaya, a man as integral
to southwest tradition as La Llorona herself, is storytelling anchored
in a very human experience. His book helps parents explain to children
the reality of death and the loss of loved ones.
Rudolfo Anaya, widely acclaimed as one of the founders of modern
Chicano literature, is professor emeritus of English at the University
of New Mexico. He is best known for the classic
Bless Me Ultima
. Amy Cordova lives in Taos, New Mexico, and is a longtime artist and
educator. She has illustrated many children's books and has won several
awards for illustration, including the ALA Pura Belpró Award.
