Photographer George Ancona returns to his roots, a small Mayan village in Yucatán, Mexico, to document the lives of one family who lives there, as seen through the eyes of their two young sons, Armando and Gaspár. The integration of traditional Mayan customs with contemporary Mexican life is evident in every aspect of their daily living, as Ancona explains in his cogent text. Throughout the book, his excellent color photographs are accompanied by reproductions of ancient Mayan artwork, showing Armando and Gaspár's ancestors engaged in exactly the same pursuit, from grinding spices with a metate, to carrying a heavy load with a tumpline, to sitting at a desk in school, writing. (Ages 7-11)

An inside look at a fascinating culture

George Ancona takes children on an exciting trip to the Yucatan. Young readers will move in with a warm and loving Mayan family to share their daily lives in town, spend weekends on their ranch, and join in a local fiesta. Photographs and drawings of ancient Mayan architecture and codices reveal the richness of Mayan culture today: a combination of ancient Mayan customs with traditions introduced by the Spanish. Glossary of Spanish and Yucatec words included.