The Young Teacher and the Great Serpent

By: Irene Vasco

Published by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2023

The United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) Outstanding International Books List - PreK-2 (2024)

The New York Times New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Books Award (2023)

A stunningly illustrated fable about cultural humility and the transcendent power of stories.

A young teacher sets out for the Amazon rain forest, eager to share geography, science, and math with the remote community of Las Delicias. The town's children love the books the young teacher brings, and yet they keep repeating legends about a great and dangerous serpent. The young teacher can't believe her students still care about that nonsense. But as the river rises, those stories don't seem so strange anymore. Maybe books aren't the only way to discover the wisdom of past generations...

The Young Teacher and the Great Serpent is a poetic, thought-provoking exploration of how stories can protect and guide a community. Bold, dynamic art and lyrical writing will open unforgettable conversations about cross-cultural relationships, the importance of indigenous knowledge, and what it means to be a lifelong learner.

Florida Literacy Association Children's Book Award Grades 3-5 Nominee (2024-2025)

Empowering Latino Futures/Latino Literacy Now International Latino Book Award in Best Children's Picture Book Translation - Spanish to English (2024)

Vermont Department of Libraries Red Clover List (2024-2025)