Tonya Engel

A little girl tells about the time her mother and her mother's friends let her tag along to a beach near New York City as they performed an early morning spring ceremony in honor of the ocean, a ritual influenced, it seems, by the Yoruba religion.

It's not a bad anecdote, but I have some personal problems with the ocean -- WATER IS EVIL!!!! -- and cannot endorse anyone worshipping or entering into some offer of appeasement with it. And as much as I despise the ocean, I cannot get behind show more anyone littering into it, even as part of a religious ceremony. I suppose most of the offerings -- food, coins, and rings -- won't do much harm, but they also threw in clothing which could contain synthetic fibers, and there's too much plastic in the ocean already.

Not for me, but I could see others having a better time with it. show less

I have only learned about the Lady of Guadalupe recently, due to my interest in Mexico and literature about Mexico, but I have heard from friends who are devout Catholics, that this story of Juan Diego and the miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe is considered common knowledge. An interesting perspective in the book is revealed when Juan Diego describes the ever-holy Virgin Mary to his friends: "...she bows her head. That tells me she is not an Aztec goddess. There is a higher power above her." show more The Author's Note following the narrative mentions how, when in 1531 the news of Our Lady of Guadalupe spread, many Mexicans thought she was Tonantzin, the Aztec fertility goddess. Others interpreted the miracle to mean that they must embrace Christianity and forsake their Aztec beliefs. Also, I was intrigued by the tilma that is said to have depict the image of the Lady, that is currently housed at Tepeyac Hill today, 475 years later. I will be in Mexico City later this month and plan to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Curricular connections: Sixth grade social studies curriculum studies early world religions, primarily in the East. Although the time frame falls many years later, the theme of abandoning polytheism for a monotheistic tradition is the same. show less

The book tells the story of Juan Diego and his experience with the Virgin Mary. Juan Diego tries to convince the bishop to build a shrine in Mary's honor, but the bishop does not believe him. Eventually, after a miracle is preformed,the bishop believes Juan Diego and the shrine is built. I think the author did a great job explaining the events that happened in Guadalupe. The author did a good job balancing the amount of information given without being boring. The illustrations were really show more colorful and aided in creating interest for the reader. show less