Gena K. Gorrel, illustrated by Andrej Krystoforski,
In the Land of the Jaguar: South America and its People
Tundra Books, 2007.

Relating the entire natural and human history of a vast continent in a meaningful way in just 135 illustrated pages is an immense and perhaps impossible undertaking, but Gena Gorrel has made a noble effort at it with In the Land of the Jaguar.

The first chapter, "Where South America Came From," begins with a discussion of the prehistoric division of Pangaea into separate continents. It then jumps to a general account of what the first European explorations of South America aimed to find, and then covers the rise of the Incan Empire. Subsequent chapters are almost as broad in the period of history they treat, but focus more narrowly on each of the 13 countries that make up modern South America. Many young readers will be a bit overwhelmed by all the dates, place names, and political figures, who often come into power and are assassinated within the same paragraph. More interesting and memorable are the shorter pull-out texts that pepper the book. For example, did you know that in Guyana there is an eight-foot wide water lily that blooms on just two consecutive nights a year, changing from white to deep pink in that short time? Or that the word "soccer" came from the word "association," and that the first World Cup was played in Uruguay in 1930?

Historical writing about South America is dominated with stories of European exploration and conquest, but Gorrel is careful to include respectful accounts of native South American cultures, pointing out, for example, the architectural achievements of the Inca, the sophisticated pottery of the Nazcas, the weaving and metalwork of the Moches.? Gorrel is also adept at approaching some delicate subjects, such as the effects of the drug trade on many Latin American countries, in a way that young readers will understand.? She also brings up environmental and economic issues in a simple but thought-provoking way. Charming illustrated maps will help readers to connect information in the text to the geography of the continent.

In my opinion, few children are going to sit down and read this book cover-to-cover, but as a reference book or as in introduction to subjects young readers may want to explore further, it is an invaluable and engaging teaching tool.

Jeannine Stronach
July 2008