The Young Teacher and the Great Serpent (Stories from Latin America)

Gr 1-3--After many long years of study, one fledgling teacher is finally ready to share her beloved books and knowledge with students far and wide. But when her first assignment takes her from the dense city to a remote community called Las Delicias in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, everything she thought she knew is called into question. This book transports readers into the rainforest through the eyes of a young teacher who has been taught to promote reading, writing, and geography over lore and legend. Lengthy text describes the teacher's harrowing journey to her assignment, frequently emphasizing the importance of her books over the danger she faces. The illustrations bring the legends of the Amazon to vivid life, juxtaposing humans and the jungle in colorful, emotion-filled images. The jungle and its residents are oversized compared to the humans and their settlements, and as the teacher transitions from residence in one locale to the next, readers observe the changes she makes as a result of her embracing the way of life found in her new community. VERDICT This visually compelling tale is a thought-provoking addition to libraries for elementary school-aged readers.--Mary R. Lanni