Chantel's Reviews > Itzel and the Ocelot

Our story begins sometime in the past, though it certainly could have been the yesterday that just passed; there is no telling when this tale took place & that is part of its charm. Itzel lives near the jungle with her grandmother. During a dry spell, Itzel is made aware of the devastating consequences of drought. In a bid to try & see the return of rain & water, Itzel journeys through the jungle in search of the giant snake; said to be the carrier of the river—the being who sheds water across the lands.

This story is based on a folktale & for that alone, I am glad to have read it. I appreciate how vast our literary journeys might take us; across the globe while sitting at home. However, in this story, there was something missing that I might attribute to the essence of the story itself. Itzel & the other jungle animals find their way rather simply to the origins of the river, where the giant snake is meant to be. After crying, the waters flow & everyone is gifted what they needed most.

At a surface level, & should you be a guardian reading this to an audience who might not care to question the moral implications of whatever is happening within the book, this conclusion is rapid & settled. Itzel & her companions tried their best to have hope but it was dashed, regardless of their efforts. This leaves them with exactly what they were hoping to get, but, how? I think perhaps the inclusion of a bit more of the giant snake or why the snake granted them water might have been great.

After all, the giant snake was allegedly never seen because no one believed in him. The group had one, maybe two, actual believers in their company. Everyone else was simply along for the ride hoping to get water. What part of that fraction might encourage the snake to feel that he was something others had returned to in their thoughts & beliefs?

I am, perhaps, reading too much into this. The book is a retelling of an old folktale for a culture of which I am not a member. Therefore it is probable that some of this story might be better told & appreciated; the nuance clear & identifiable, by those to whom this story rings close to the heart. Therefore, I will leave off my review here by simply stating that this is a cute story, a cute book with cute illustrations & something that would be a nice added dimension to a personal library.

Thank you to Edelweiss+, Kids Can Press, & Rachel Katstaller for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!