The Youngest Sister
"The small shall be large . . . that's how it must be."
In the Andean foothills, a five-year-old Quechua girl is entrusted with a big job: to collect a marrow bone from the neighbor for the family soup. A stunning debut from Indigenous author Suniyay Moreno.
Picu's family is very poor. In the dry Andean foothills, her mother must feed fourteen people--her kids, her relatives' kids, and the hired hand's kids--every day. One morning, Picu, the youngest sister, is sent to get a marrow bone from a neighbor. The bone will add flavor and nutrition to the lunchtime soup. Her mother warns her not to dawdle on the two-hour walk, each way, through the wild landscape.
But Picu can't help it! She marvels at the butterflies, samples the cactus fruit, and daydreams about using the marrow bone as a football. Will the neighbor let her family keep the bone after the soup is made? Will her mother let her play with it? And will she be punished for being so late?
Picu is a child of joie de vivre and resourcefulness. This story, like Picu herself, is tough, hard, and honest. And moving. And fun.
The Youngest Sister features a glossary of Quechuan terms that are used throughout the story.
An Aldana Libros Book, Greystone Kids
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Suniyay Moreno is the name the author has chosen because it is the one given to her by her Quechua grandmother. She was born and lived in the mountains above Santiago del Estero in Argentina where she loved to climb trees barefoot, run after baby goats, and sing songs and make riddles in Quechua--her mother tongue. When she was six she moved to Santiago where she learned Spanish. As a grown-up, she became a librarian so she could climb around the stacks of books and children. She lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and this is her first book.
Mariana Chiesa is the author of Migrants and No Time to Play, which have won prizes and arepublished internationally. Her best known books are Migrando and No hay tiempo para jugar which are published and prize winning in many countries but not in English. In 2014 she won the Latin American Illustration Prize given by the University of Palermo. The Youngest Sister is her first book available in English.
--The Horn Book Moreno's text...gives a folkloric resonance to this contemporary tale of life in an indigenous Quechua community. Chiesa's richly textured crayon illustrations, not only convey the locale, but also celebrate the sturdy dignity of the hardworking, close-knit family.
--The Bulletin of Center for Children's Books "Exhibits a cadence intended to respect its oral traditions and Quechuan voice. Moreno's portrayal of Indigenous life is revealing."
--Booklist "A memorable story alive with the voice of an Indigenous people seldom heard from."--Kirkus Reviews
"The vibrant illustrations are eye-catching and have the look of vigorously applied pastels. Could possibly find use within social studies units on South America."
--School Library Connections
"A fascinating look at a little-known culture"
--School Library Journal
