Mola: Cuna Life Stories and Art

By Maricel E. Presilla

Book Overview

My little girls, You will grow up and marrya grown boy.You will grow up....I will look for molas, Molas for the little girls.--Cuna Lullaby The remarkable Cuna Indians live on the San Blas Islands off the northern coast of Panama. Cuna women hold much of the power enjoyed by men in other societies. They select their husbands, pass property on to their children, and make a unique form of art called molas that depict every detail of their lives. The spectacular fabric designs in vibrant tropical colors that appear on the front and back panels of molas give us a window into Cuna life. We may see a day in school, mythical birds, the story of Noah, jungle animals, or a girl's coming-of-age. Author Maricel Presilla learned how to read molas when she stayed with the Cuna. "Mola" is her tribute to the women she came to know and the amazing art they create. An" American Bookseller ""Pick of the Lists"One of Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805038019
• ISBN13: 9780805038019
• Release Date: October 1996
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 1.09 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 10.3" x 10.4"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Terrific story and photographs of the Kuna molas!

After having spent over two years in Panama, I have seen the Kuna Indians and many styles of their molas. Maricel Presilla captures their beauty in the story and the many beautiful photographs. It is listed as a children's book, but I bought it for myself and have ordered copies to give to several of our Kuna (Panamanian spelling) friends. A wonderful book to have in your library about another fascinating culture.