The Young Teacher and the Great Serpent by Irene Vasco Illustrated by Juan Palomino
4/5
ARC via Netgalley

With picture books, the first thing you’re going to pay attention to are the illustrations, and the illustrations in this are amazingly complementary to the story that is being told. A story about two different cultures attempting to coexist while also being a story of the legend of a great serpent, this story of a teacher going to the Amazon to teach young children shows how no matter where you are in life, or what you think you know, there’s always new things to discover.

Read if you like: folklore, introductions to new cultures

A story about community and what it means to rely on each other. A young teacher is assigned to a school in a far away place. She approaches the arduous journey with limited confidence, but through the help of several people along the way, this teacher finally reaches her school. At the beginning, the teacher believes she is there to teach the children, and she does, with her books and knowledge from far away.

But then a storm hits and the river floods, and the teacher finds that the community offers much to teach her as well. The teacher shares her Spanish language, and in turn learns the spoken language of her community. The teacher shares her knowledge, and the community shares their legends and creates a new kind of book that won't be damaged by storms. It's a simple story with a big message that we can all learn from each other and help each other.

At first, I was put off by the somewhat patronizing vibe of the teacher, but the story taken as a whole ended up in a much more uplifting and valuable place.