Author: Ann Cameron
Colibri is the story of "a young Mayan girl's quest for the family she was stolen from".
Rosa isn't her real name. She was given the name by a man she calls Uncle. Colibrí, meaning Hummingbird in Spanish, is a nickname her mother gave her. When she was only four years old, Colibrí was kidnapped from her parents in Guatemala City and forced to travel with "Uncle" who renamed her Rosa and told her that he tried to search for her parents but never found them. Uncle had kidnapped Colibrí believing what he was told by fortune-tellers - that she would bring him good luck and a huge treasure.
Colibrí is twelve years old when the book starts. She doesn't remember much about her parents but she still longs for them.
I read this book in Spanish. I got it from Better World Books along with two other young reader's/children's books as part of a deal. As someone who is not a native speaker of Spanish, I found this book pretty easy to read and enjoyable.
I really liked the glossary in the back of the book. Since the book takes place in Guatemala and since Colibri is Mayan, some words that are specific to the country or Mayans are used in the book. So, the glossary of words and their meanings was nice.
Colibrí is an inspirational young girl. She tries to stay honest and true to her own values even when Uncle is busy trying to scam people or rob a Church. It is very touching to read about the many people along the way who try to to help Colibrí escape from Uncle and find her parents.
I felt like the ending was a little bit rushed. The story itself is generally fast paced so a fast ending isn't completely out of place. I am glad that the book leaves the reader with a happy ending though because all throughout the book I was hoping that Colibrí would find a way to escape from Uncle..
Although there are some darker elements in Colibri, it is still a good and inspirational read. I would say that this is a good book for preteens.
Rating: 4/5 Strawberry Milks
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