Quiote, El sueño de Cuco • Cuco’s Dream
Esther Boles
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Quiote, El sueño de Cuco • Cuco’s Dream (Iguana Books, 2023), written and illustrated by Esther Boles has the stamp of classic children’s literature. Within the context of a Mexican village, the author references a story taken from the best tradition of fantasy. We are put in mind of Jack and the Beanstalk, in which a poor country boy named Jack exchanges the old family cow for some magic beans. The beans grow overnight into a gigantic beanstalk that reaches the sky. Jack climbs the stalk to discover a world of giants, specifically one ogre who has a hen that lays golden eggs, and a magic harp. Jack steals the treasure and escapes down the stalk. He cuts it down just in time to secure the destruction of the ogre and the treasure for himself and his mother. The story by Esther Boles begins under a similar premise; a plant that reaches the sky; a boy named Cuco becomes fascinated with a quiote, a flower stalk that grows from the center of a maguey. Cuco climbs the stalk and reaches the clouds, but we are far from a simple, happy ending.
The essence of ‘Quiote’ does not lie solely in the surprise Cuco discovers upon reaching the top of the flower stalk. More importantly, it begins with his initial fascination for the quiote that suddenly appears from the heart of the maguey, and whose mystery becomes his obsession, awakening his desire to protect it. The everyday representation of Cuco’s life, lost in his thoughts for this marvelous plant, is one of the most beautiful aspects of this story. Cuco is a boy who goes to school; he has chores; he helps out with his mother’s alfeñique stall; he hauls charcoal for his uncle’s taco stand. Through these scenes the story, without directing itself expressly to them, draws out the values of collaboration and solidarity within a family. At the same time it piques the imagination and the independence of a child that fights for an objective. This objective is neither riches nor money, but the contemplation of beauty. Cuco discovers, way up in the sky, the flower that crowns the quiote, and like a little Orfeo who has gazed upon the embodiment of his love, Cuco will also face the consequences of his defiance, grazing the limits of dreams and real life. |
Quiote, El sueño de Cuco • Cuco’s Dream has the edge of being bilingual. Of having been written in English and in Spanish and of catching, in the synthesis of its phrases and dialogues precise vignettes that communicate what is essential. The poetry of the phrases is joined by the singular beauty of the illustrations. Esther Boles has not simply created a children’s book, but a wonderful document of certain almost photographic scenes from the Mexican landscape that remind us, from time to time, of the work of Juán Rulfo. The black and white illustrations with light touches of color bring out the poetry of the landscape that speaks to us through rugged mountains, as well as through the humble home, the public plaza, the little school and the street.
In this book, without mentioning it, Esther Boles does homage to the landscape of Guanajuato; a place she has inhabited for many years. None better than herself could have discovered the possibilities of a plant whose mysticism and mystery is sometimes ignored. Following the story, an informational page references the fact that the flower stalk of the maguey grows and blooms only once in the plant’s lifetime, when it has reached maturity. After this, the majestic maguey dies. Another symbolic lesson that lets us contemplate the culmination of an endeavor; the sacrifice exacted for loveliness.
Esther Boles grew up in Ontario, Canada. She studied visual arts, music and creative writing with John Ditsky at the University of Windsor. In California, she studied theater at UCSB. In Mexico, she studied printmaking and music at the University of Guanajuato. She lived in Guanajuato for 27 years. In addition to her bilingual picture book Quiote. El sueño de Cuco • Cuco’s Dream, (Iguana Books, 2023), she has published stories and poetry in newspapers, literary journals, zines and magazines such as El Correo, The Windsor Review (U of W), Azogue (UG), Párrafo (UCLA) and Whit Forest in Our Mouths (Finland).
Quiote is a publication by Iguana Books.
In this book, without mentioning it, Esther Boles does homage to the landscape of Guanajuato; a place she has inhabited for many years. None better than herself could have discovered the possibilities of a plant whose mysticism and mystery is sometimes ignored. Following the story, an informational page references the fact that the flower stalk of the maguey grows and blooms only once in the plant’s lifetime, when it has reached maturity. After this, the majestic maguey dies. Another symbolic lesson that lets us contemplate the culmination of an endeavor; the sacrifice exacted for loveliness.
Esther Boles grew up in Ontario, Canada. She studied visual arts, music and creative writing with John Ditsky at the University of Windsor. In California, she studied theater at UCSB. In Mexico, she studied printmaking and music at the University of Guanajuato. She lived in Guanajuato for 27 years. In addition to her bilingual picture book Quiote. El sueño de Cuco • Cuco’s Dream, (Iguana Books, 2023), she has published stories and poetry in newspapers, literary journals, zines and magazines such as El Correo, The Windsor Review (U of W), Azogue (UG), Párrafo (UCLA) and Whit Forest in Our Mouths (Finland).
Quiote is a publication by Iguana Books.
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