Under the Ocelot Sun

"Precious things are worth a thousand-mile walk, Mija?" Las cosas precioas valen una caminata de mil millas, mija?" from Under the Ocelot SunSpoken by a mother to her small daughter as they are detained at a border wall, Under the Ocelot Sun is a powerful account of refugees' plight. The mother speaks of the beauty of their Honduran homeland and of her abuela's wisdom. She also touches on the violent forces they are fleeing. She wants her little one to know her heritage and why they have taken this perilous journey. Lyrically told (in English and Spanish) and vibrantly illustrated, this is a picture book for our time. George Ella Lyon, Kentucky Poet Laureate 2015-2016About the title: The Ocelot Sun refers to the Nahua creation myth of the Five Suns. Each sun corresponds to an age, or a creation event. The Nahui-Ocelotl is the first sun, or first creation event. At that time, the world was ruled by giants and the gods sent ocelots or jaguars to destroy the earth and start again. Under the Ocelot Sun is a story of hope and survival in times of trouble.