Maya's Children: The Story of La Llorona
Anaya's adaptation of the legend of La Llorona into a children's book. La Llorona, or the crying woman, is a legend known in many forms and versions across Latin America.
"A celebrated Chicano writer offers his version of the Latin American legend of La Llorona, "the crying woman." In ancient Mexico, a daughter of the sun god is born to human parents. She is named Maya and is destined to live forever. That angers Senor Tiempo, the god of time, who jealously vows to find a way to ensure that Maya's immortality will not be passed on to her children. In an author's note, Anaya explains that he has tempered the violence of the original tale and made Maya a sympathetic character rather than one designed to frighten children. Instead, Senor Tiempo becomes "the bad guy," and a traditional tale becomes a lesson to 'teach youngsters about mortality.'" -- Michael Cart, Booklist