White Flower: A Maya Princess

White Flower: A Maya Princess by Montejo, Victor. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780888995995.

This popular folktale with Spanish origins features W’itz Ak’al, the Lord of the Woods, a cacique (king) who commands both the natural world and the city; and his beautiful daughter, Blanca Flor, who also can command the forces of nature to get her way. When a suitor arrives to court her, he must survive a series of trials set by Blanca’s father to prove his worth. Deer instead of horses act as both animal servants and the alter egos of the king and queen. Wonderfully magical, White Flower with its strong female protagonist is set at the time of the classic Maya civilization, with gorgeous watercolor images of pyramid-cities in lush jungles.