La Malinche: The Princess Who Helped Cortés Conquer the Aztec Empire

Gr 4–7—A picture-book biography about the controversial Mexican figure "'La Malinche." Malinali, a Nahuatl princess, was sold into slavery and eventually traded to Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés and aided in his conquest of the Aztecs and other indigenous peoples of Central America. In this telling, she is portrayed as a victim of Cortés's machinations and cunning, though a few of the instances mentioned demonstrate her loyalty to and love for the man. She is repeatedly described as beautiful and wise, a knowledgeable and clever interpreter who provides a bridge between the Europeans and the Central Americans. Historians are clearly not in agreement about the level of importance that La Malinche played in Cortés's conquest of the region, as some accounts barely mention her presence, noting only that she was an interpreter, and fewer even acknowledge her role as mistress and mother of one his children. The artwork blends a Central American style with European touches, such as illumination, to complement the theme of why La Malinche is considered the mother of Mexico, her son with Cortés being the first "Mexican" of both Native and European descent. Perhaps too long and detailed for reading aloud, this interesting and handsomely illustrated book will be useful to budding historians and those doing research on the familiar explorer.Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA