George Crespo

A Taino myth about how the sea came to be is retold in this picture book from author / illustrator George Crespo, a Puerto Rican painter and sculptor who made his book debut here. Occurring in an ancient land known as Zuania, which existed in what is now the Caribbean before the waters came, the story follows the talented hunter Yayael, who lived with his family and people on the mountain of Boríquen. When the goddess Guabancex sent a mighty hurricane, Yayael was lost, but his bow and arrows were preserved, and placed by his mourning parents in a gourd that they hung in their dwelling. When hunger struck their people, Yayael's parents obtained fish from the gourd, perhaps indicating that even in death the hunter still provided. But when the gourd was left in the care of four young boys, their curiosity left it broken, and the mighty salt waters it contained now dispersed. No longer a mountain, Boríquen (AKA Puerto Rico) was now an island, just as other mountains of Zuania became the islands of Cuba, Jamaica and Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic)...

According to the brief afterword here, the story contained in How the Sea Began: A Taino Myth was first recorded by Fray Ramon Pané, a Spanish monk who accompanied Columbus on his second voyage to Hispaniola in 1494. Learning Taino, Fray Pané recorded many of the traditional beliefs and stories of the indigenous people he encountered, completing his An Account of the Antiquities of the Indians in 1498. This work was the first book written in the western hemisphere by Europeans or their descendants, and is the only direct source of information about the Tainos and their culture and beliefs that survives. I was unfamiliar with Pané before picking up this book, so I am particularly grateful to George Crespo for his note about his sources—something I always look for in folkloric and mythological retellings. Leaving that aside, I found this an engaging story, and thought it was very interesting that Zuania was the Taino name for South America. Perhaps this story was their way of adapting to their new Caribbean home, surrounded by water on all sides, after migrating there from the Orinoco Basin (modern day Venezuela and Colombia) around 1000 AD. The accompanying artwork, done in oil paint, is likewise interesting, with a wonderful use of color and shape, and a somewhat impressionistic style that caught my eye. Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, and to anyone seeking Taino stories, or myths of the wider Caribbean.… (más)

How The Sea Began: A Taino Myth by George L. Crespo, is a West Indies legend about a magical wooden gourd that breaks and floods the land to become the world's ocean. It is said that in the beginning of time, the people of Zuania lived on mountains, worshipped deities, and hunted for food with bows and arrows. Paired with colorful illustrations, the tale of how the sea began is great for second graders. The author includes a brief explanation of the story's geography and origin in the back of the book, which could be used to teach a History lesson on native Indians. Students might also be encouraged to read similar books about myths and legends in an activity where they compare different types of literature.… (más)