Guatemala Crate
In this Atlas Crate, you can build a spinning top, make muñecas quitapenas, and explore Guatemala!
"Guatemala is the only place in the world where the Guatemalan spiny-tailed iguana lives in the wild. The more I learn about Guatemala, the more i-guana go there!"
Explore:
- Spinning Tops
- Crafting Worry Dolls
- Barriletes Gigantes
Fun Facts
photo by reiasegraf.ch/shutterstock.com
- Meet the loudest land mammal in the Western Hemisphere — the Guatemalan howler monkey. Howler monkeys howl to attract mates, to keep trespassers out of their territory, or just to sing along with their howler monkey friends. You might not want to be too close when this happens, though — howler howls are loud enough to give you a howlin' headache.
Animals: Guatemalan Howler Monkey
photo by Byron Ortiz/shutterstock.com
- This traditional dessert is made by stuffing mashed plantains (which are like less-sweet bananas) with a mixture of chocolate… and beans! The plantains are then fried, rolled in sugar, and served with sour cream or black bean chocolate sauce — for a delicious, sweet-and-savory snack. Sounds like we've bean doing dessert wrong all this time.
Food: Rellenitos de Platano
photo by Sashka_Cvet/shutterstock.com
- The ancient Maya were big fans of jade, using it to craft everything from jewelry to weapons to art. For centuries, archaeologists had no idea where the Maya found all that stone… until 1988, when a hurricane struck Guatemala and revealed an underground deposit of blue and green jade that was 1,000 square miles (2,500 sq km) wide. That's about the size of Rhode Island!
Awesomeness: Maya Jade
Your library
Rainbow Weaver: Tejedora del Arcoiris
written by Linda Elovitz Marshall, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri
A story of family tradition, conservation, and resourcefulness. Ixchel wants to weave "fabric as beautiful as a rainbow,"" just as Mayan women like her mother, and grandmother have done for thousands of years. But there is not enough thread for her. Ixchel tries weaving a variety of materials with no luck until, suddenly, she has an idea that benefits everyone. This story is written in both English and Spanish, and also includes several words in Kaqchikel, one of the Mayan languages of Guatemala.
Get the book →
The Night The Animals Danced: A Guatemalan Folktale
written by Nicholas Beatty, illustrated by Jose and Henry Mendez
One dark night, a boy named Pablo is alone in the forest when he stumbles upon a bizarre celebration — a group of animals who have all taken the form of skeletons! Pablo joins in the festivities, dancing the night away. For years after that night, Pablo tries to return to the clearing, but he is an old man before he is able to find it again. The Night the Animals Danced is a magical story based on the oral traditions of Guatemalan folk culture.
Get the book →
