The Honey Jar

An Americas Award Commended Title

In this book — the companion volume to The Girl From Chimel — Nobel Peace Prize winner and Maya activist Rigoberta Menchu Tum returns to the world of her childhood.

The Honey Jar brings us the ancient stories her grandparents told her when she was a little girl, and we can imagine her listening to them by the fire at night. These Maya tales include creation myths, a classic story about the magic twins (which can also be found in the Popol Vuh), explanations of how and why certain natural phenomena came to exist, and animal tales. The underworld, the sky, the sun and moon, plants, people, animals, gods and demi-gods are all present in these stories, and through them we come to know more about the elements that shaped the Mayas’ understanding of the world.

Rich and vibrant illustrations by Domi perfectly complement these magical Maya tales.