bookshelf

THE WOMEN BEFORE US

Name: THE WOMEN BEFORE US
Author: Nydia Armendia-Sánchez
ISBN: 9781536227079

WEAVING STORIES IN MY HUIPIL

by Nydia Armendia-Sánchez ; illustrated by Dana SanMar ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 4, 2026

Girl power woven with ancestral pride.

bookshelf

In a Guatemalan village, a brown-skinned girl learns to weave her family history and her own identity into every thread.

Taught by her mamá, tía, and abuela, the youngster draws on generations of knowledge to create huipils (a traditional Maya garment) by hand. Using a weaving sword and a worn backstrap loom, she imbues each textile with symbolism passed from the women in her family. Though she honors tradition, she makes space for her own voice by adding sequins and beads to her designs. Each woman in her family has a distinct style shaped by the natural world: Her sister loves butterflies, while her mother gravitates toward starbursts. Together, their work forms a powerful portrait of intergenerational womanhood, underscoring how creativity, culture, and resilience are shared and sustained. Even as Mamá sells their work to support the family, financial struggles persist, and the author’s note gestures toward the ongoing fight for Maya women’s rights, though more detail would have strengthened this context. Armendia-Sánchez’s lyrical prose, rich with alliteration and metaphor, makes this a strong read-aloud, even as the themes occasionally feel unfocused. SanMar’s digitally painted illustrations are layered with cut paper and threaded elements that blend traditional with contemporary; some compositions seem to lift scenes off the page with striking depth. Realistic moments of characters weaving are interspersed with more surreal sequences, where they soar through the sky on the very patterns they create.

Girl power woven with ancestral pride. (bibliography) (Picture book. 4-8)