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Nina Jaffe

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The Golden Flower: A Taíno Myth from Puerto Rico (Piñata Books) Kindle Edition

by Nina Jaffe (Author), Enrique O. Sánchez (Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition

238

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The syncopated prose of Nina Jaffe draws the reader to the island of Puerto Rico, back before the Spaniards arrived. The island was inhabited by the Taínos, and they called their beloved island, Boriquén. This is their story of how Boriquén came to be.

In the beginning, there is only a giant mountain above a dry plain without water or plants. When a child walks over the flat land below the mountain, he finds seeds dancing in the wind. When he plants the seeds on the top of the mountain, a forest grows on the crest and in that forest, a large golden flower appears. Soon, the boy and his community reap benefits that they had never before imagined.

A joyful creation myth about the evolution of a beautiful island habitat, this picture book, originally published by Simon & Schuster, is also a celebration of the young boy’s quest, which encourages young readers, ages 4-8, to respect the gifts of the winds and the cycle of nature that bears fruit for the whole community.

Jaffe’s adaptation of this traditional folktale common to indigenous peoples of South America and the Caribbean stemmed from her encounter with a Spanish-language text by Carmen Puigdollers, “Como se formó la bella isla de Boriquén,” and research in Puerto Rico.

Reading age

4 - 8 years
Print length

18 pages
Language

English
Publication date

December 10, 2017
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5?Jaffe invites children to read this Puerto Rican creation myth while imagining that they are sitting in a magical circle on a tropical night. The storyteller, a Taino Indian, tells of a time when the Earth was a waterless desert plain at the base of a tall mountain. A boy, looking for food, finds a seed that he saves in his pouch. He finds more and plants them on top of the mountain. A forest grows, and at the base of one tree a vine produces first a beautiful golden flower, then a pumpkin. The people are frightened by the strange noises coming from it, and they stay away. But one day two men struggle for the fruit until the vine breaks. The pumpkin rolls down the mountain and bursts open, releasing the sea and all the creatures in it. The people rush to the top of the mountain, which becomes their island home. The text is simple and lends itself to a storyteller's performance. The book is large enough to share with a group, and the words flow smoothly across the bottom of the pages without interrupting the illustrations. Sanchez's acrylic-and-gouache art creates a primitive setting with vibrant colors and angular designs. The characters' emotions are easily interpreted and contribute to the mood of the story. A worthy addition to any folktale collection.?Betty Teague, Blythe Academy of Languages, Greenville, SC
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 5^-8. 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

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B078F1GVGB
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Arte Público Press (December 10, 2017)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 10, 2017
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 59700 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Not enabled
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 18 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,109,443 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #316 in Children's Multicultural Folk Tales
- #1,472 in Children's Multicultural Literature
- #18,644 in Children's Literature (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
238

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Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5

238 global ratings

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T

Fun + Beautiful illustrations

Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2023

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Wow! What a fantastic story. The artwork is simply divine. A wonderful perspective on how an island came to be. So lovely! Highly recommend.

One person found this helpful

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Chartreuse

Lovely illustrations

Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2022

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This book has such lovely illustrations that even an adult could admire and enjoy the details. I bought this for my nephew and I’m so happy with my purchase.

3 people found this helpful

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Jessica Q

Great book

Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2020

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What an amazing story book. I was looking for children’s books about the island of Puerto Rico when I stumbled upon this book. So I purchased it. Read it before I read it to my girls and I absolutely love it. Well told tale of the Taino Indians and how the island of Puerto Rico came to be. So glad I purchased this story book to add to our little library.

8 people found this helpful

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Dazzle Driller

Beautifully illustrated!

Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2020

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Beautifully illustrated book of a Taino myth I had never heard of (I'm Puerto Rican). I bought one to give away and one to cut out and frame the illustrations.

3 people found this helpful

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Aaron Dodge

Very good book

Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2017

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Really good book. I'm white but my wife is Puerto Rican and i want our son to know both cultures so whenever i find a book that will teach him something or is about Puerto Rico i tend to get it for him.. this book is really well written and my son really enjoyed the story as well.

18 people found this helpful

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Abimael

A Beautiful Introduction to Taíno Mythology

Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2022

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This book is a beautifully illustrated introduction to Taíno mythology. Parents of children with Taíno or other indigenous heritage can safely incorporate this gem in their bedtime stories.

4 people found this helpful

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GreenStar8

Excellent story!

Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2012

Verified Purchase

This book is part of the selected books for the curricular maps in the Puerto Rico Department of Education. As an English teacher, I had to buy it, since they do not provide the books. I read it to my second grade class and they loved it. Personally, I like it a lot too because of its great plot and illustrations. I recommend this great book as a great addition to any ESL library, to enrich its collection of Puertorrican stories.

6 people found this helpful

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Jesus Valle

Great

Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2020

Verified Purchase

A good for teaching children the many stories of their people in a modern time. This is a great read.