Luz Jiménez was born in Milpa Alta, Mexico, at the end of the 19th century. She grew up speaking Nahuatl as her first language and hearing the stories of her Aztec people from her elders. She also learned her people’s traditions: how to grind corn, use her toes to twist yarn, weave, and gather edible mushrooms and medicinal herbs. She was a curious girl who wanted to learn to read and one day be a teacher, but the government school she was forced to attend wouldn’t let her use her own language or traditions. After her father was killed when Milpa Alta was taken over during the Mexican Revolution, she and her family moved to Mexico City, where Luz soon befriended artists such as Diego Rivera, Fernando Leal, Tina Modotti, and Jean Charlot. She soon became their favorite model, most often posing while engaged in traditional activities, which helped to document her culture. She taught her language to scholars, and took anthropologists and artists on tours of Milpa Alta. When she was invited to teach Nahuatl at a college in Mexico City, Luz finally realized her dream of becoming a teacher. This fascinating story of the life of one woman who is credited with preserving much of what is known today about Nahua language and culture is brilliantly illustrated with Tonatiuh’s Mixtec-inspired stylized illustrations. A timeline, glossary, citations, and a bibliography follow informative notes from both the author and illustrator that outline how they researched the subject. (Ages 7-11)

She was Luz Jiménez,
child of the flower-song people,
the powerful Aztec,
who called themselves Nahua-
who lost their land but who did not disappear.

As a young Nahua girl in Mexico during the early 1900s, Luz learned how to grind corn in a metate, to twist yarn with her toes, and to weave on a loom. By the fire at night, she listened to stories of her community's joys, suffering, and survival, and wove them into her heart.

But when the Mexican Revolution came to her village, Luz and her family were forced to flee and start a new life. In Mexico City, Luz became a model for painters, sculptors, and photographers such as Diego Rivera, Jean Charlot, and Tina Modotti. These artists were interested in showing the true face of Mexico and not a European version. Through her work, Luz found a way to preserve her people's culture by sharing her native language, stories, and traditions. Soon, scholars came to learn from her.

This moving, beautifully illustrated biography tells the remarkable story of how model and teacher Luz Jiménez became "the soul of Mexico"-a living link between the indigenous Nahua and the rest of the world. Through her deep pride in her roots and her unshakeable spirit, the world came to recognize the beauty and strength of her people.

The book includes an author's note, timeline, glossary, and bibliography.