Mola: Cuna Life Stories and Art (Hardcover)

by Maricel E. Presilla (Author) "Along and narrow strip of land joins Central and South America..." (more)
Key Phrases: San Blas Islands

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
As in her Life Around the Lake (coauthored with Gloria Soto), Presilla again examines a little-known culture by means of its textile arts. This time her subject is the Cuna Indians, who inhabit the San Blas Islands off the coast of Panama, and the avenue for exploration is the mola, a vibrant cloth panel with embroidered and appliqued designs. Outsiders frame molas as art; Cuna women sew them into blouses. The author's language is often as vivid as the painstakingly stitched, densely hued fabric art; she notes that from the air the San Blas Islands "seem no bigger than jellyfish floating lazily in the shiny turquoise and cobalt blue waters of the Caribbean Sea." Cuna women create the molas; as the author explains in an endnote, the high prices these works fetch from outsiders buttresses the dominant role women have traditionally played in Cuna society. Aided by crisply detailed photographs of molas, Presilla paints a memorable portrait of "women who wear their lives." Ages 7-up. (Oct.) TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE: The Fight for Haiti's Freedom Walter Dean Myers, illus. by Jacob Lawrence. S&S, $16 ISBN 0-689-80126-2 As a young Harlem Renaissance artist, Lawrence's first success was a series of 41 narrative paintings chronicling the life of Haitian activist Toussaint L'Ouverture, who in 1791 led a rebellion against the French planters. Lawrence's stylized tempura art, painted predominantly in muted earth hues, is punctuated by luminous splashes of white and red. His striking compositions recreate the drama of how the self-taught Toussaint became the revolt's leader, organizing workers into "a mighty army of liberation" to abolish slavery on both the French and Spanish sides of the island. They also convey Toussaint's despair in prison, where he died before Haiti's liberation in 1804. The battle scenes are a dynamic clatter of spiky, angular shapes and flying hooves; more quiet panels depict Toussaint studiously drafting battle plans and ships ominously arriving from France. Though Myers (Brown Angels) makes some broad leaps that may puzzle kids, he skillfully presents Toussaint's life story in succinct episodes that correspond to the paintings. His clean, effective text supports Lawrence's more complex and powerful paintings, both urbane and elemental in style. Ages 8-12. (Oct.) FYI: The artist whose paintings illustrate this book is himself the subject of a picture book (reviewed below).
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6?Molas are blouses with intricate, brilliantly colored reverse applique panels worn by Cuna Indian women. The decorative motifs are taken from the women's daily lives, folklore, and imaginations, a fact that this charming book uses to good effect. Presilla obviously loves and admires the Cuna, who inhabit the San Blas Islands off the north coast of Panama. The text describes the customs and lives of these matrilineal people and includes quotes and songs from the Cuna themselves. On every page, a detail or a full panel of a mola photographed in glowing colors amplifies the text. The method of the garment's construction is briefly described. Directions for making reverse or "cut-through" appliques can be found in Jeremy Comins's Latin American Crafts and Their Cultural Backgrounds (Lothrop, 1974; o.p.) and in Judith H. Corwin's Latin American and Caribbean Crafts (Watts, 1992). There is more detail about the Cuna, and molas, in Ana Maria Vazquez's Panama (Children's, 1991), which would be better for reports; but none give as many examples of this wonderful folk art as Presilla's book.?Pam Gosner, Maplewood Memorial Library, NJ
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1st edition (October 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805038019
• ISBN-13: 978-0805038019
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 10.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #362,536 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific story and photographs of the Kuna molas!, November 19, 1998

By A Customer

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.