Child of the Flower-song People

“The remarkable story of how model and teacher Luz Jiménez became a living link between the indigenous Nahua of Mexico and the rest of the world”

As a young Nahua girl in Mexico during the early 1900s, Luz learned how to grind corn in a metate, to twist yarn with her toes, and to weave on a loom. By the fire at night, she listened to stories of her community’s joys, suffering, and survival—and wove them into her heart.

But when the Mexican Revolution came to her village, Luz and her family were forced to flee and start a new life. In Mexico City, Luz became a model for painters, sculptors, and photographers such as Diego Rivera, Jean Charlot and Tina Modotti. These artists were interested in showing the true face of Mexico and not a European version. Through her work Luz found a way to preserve her people’s culture by sharing her native language, stories and traditions while she posed. Soon scholars came to learn from her.

This moving, beautifully illustrated biography tells the remarkable story of how model and teacher Luz Jiménez became “the spirit of Mexico”—a living link between the indigenous Nahua and the rest of the world. Through her deep pride in her roots and her unshakeable spirit, the world came to recognize the beauty and strength of her people.

Learn More:

Educator Resources Awards & Reviews

Buy the Book:

Bookshop Barnes & Noble Amazon B & N Audio Book Spotify Audiobooks.com

More:

• Video: Meg Medina, National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, with Traci Sorrell at the Library of Congress video. Traci Sorrell talks about Child of the Flower-song People here 2024 Cuéntame! Let’s Talk Books
• Vide0: A kid’s review of Child of the Flower-song People in Arsenal’s Book Review Garden
• Video: Child of the Flower-song People Video Book Trailer
• “Meet Doña Jiménez, the forgotten Indigenous Woman at the Heart of the Mexican Cultural Revolution” Review before sharing with students.
• See more information on Teaching Books for Schools here.