“Julio Hummingbird was tiny, about the size of a chocolate bar, but he didn’t mind being small until one evening when he visited his favorite bird feeder in the garden of Señora Sanchez. There sitting right on top of it was Oscar Oriole, big, bad, beautiful and bold.”
With those two simple opening lines, local author Harriet Hart hooks readers into “Julio Hummingbird,” an enchanting bilingual children’s storybook with the dual Spanish title “Julio Colibri” that teaches every bit as much as it entertains.
Hart is a retired Canadian social worker who has gotten seriously into writing since settling in Ajijic with her husband Paul in 2001. Her byline has appeared regularly on non-fiction articles for the Lake Chapala Review, El Ojo del Lago and the webzine Mexico Insights. She coordinated the publication of “Agave Marias,” a women’s anthology by 10 Lake Chapala authors and wrote a self published a memoir for family and friends titled “Crow’s Feet.” Some of her personal essays have made print in U.S. and Canadian journals. However, children’s literature has become her genre of choice.
The new book is the third in Hart’s series of tales for young readers crafted around life lessons as relayed by the different species of Mexican birds set out as the main characters. Her inspiration came from nature outings with her spouse and fellow Lake Chapala birders.The first tome, “Miguel Motmot,” tells the story of a bird that inhabits the Sierra Madre mountain range. It embraces the conservation message that birds belong in trees, not cages. The sequel is “Carmelita Crow,” in which the central character moves from Mexico to Los Angeles with her winged family, only to find herself treated as an outsider and challenged to overcome a bad case of homesickness.
Julio Hummingbird delves into the themes of bullying and acceptance of diversity. Through the storyline the little colibri discovers he can take pride in his innate abilities, while the antagonist Oscar Oriole gets a well-deserved lesson in humility. Both come to appreciate one another’s unique qualities and build a bond of respectful friendship.
Each page of text is complemented by a colorful illustration created by one of six children and teens enlisted in the book project. The young artists include the author’s granddaughter Nikola Carnegie, age six, along with local talents Leonardo González, Marcos Alberto, Dario López Márquez, Zyanya González Galindo, L. Alejandra Rojas B. and Carlos González.
The Spanish translation was perfectly penned by Amelia Stevens, with revision credited to Graciela Estrada.
For its upbeat content, introduction to local wildlife and potential for easily-absorbed language learning, the book is a great choice for curious readers both young and old. Look for it on the shelves at Diane Pearl Colecciones and the Efren González art gallery and occasional public events. Proceeds from sales of the first edition go to the children’s art program run by González.