Margarito's Forest

by Andy Carter, Allison Havens (Illustrator), Omar Mejia (Translator)

Margarito's Forest is based on the life of Don Margarito Esteban Alvarez VelAzquez as told by his daughter, Dona' MarIa Guadelupe. This story of the Maya love for the earth, passed from one generation to the next, is set in Saq Ja', a small, remote village in the mountains of central Guatemala. As the deforesting effects of climate change become clear, Don Margarito's life and the ways of the Maya offer timely wisdom for a planet in peril. This book is a commemoration of his courage and the preservation the forest that he planted

40 pages, Paperback

Published October 2, 2016

Reviews

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a great message and is enriched by the back matter information about recent Guatemalan history. However, most of the artwork distracts from the story - the black and white drawings by the illustrator look quite jarring and frankly creepy. I imagine the book would have been better if it had an illustrator who was a member of the Guatemalan community where the story takes place.

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heart-wrenching and heartwarming read based on the true story of Margarito’s forest. This story was filled with so much beauty and so much truth. The illustrations were a nice touch that tied together photos of the forest with illustrations from local school children.