Túuri
Refugio Pereida

The Spanish children’s book, Túuri, offers a pathway to interact with two important figures in our society embodied in one character, a boy with down syndrome who belongs to the Yoreme tribe. Written by Refugio Pereida and remarkably illustrated by Zinai Estrada, Túuri is a book destined to leave an indelible mark on the reader, where the main character will encounter a challenge rooted in the legendary Dance of the Deer, a ritual shared by the ethnic tribes Yoreme, Yaqui and Mayo situated in the Mexican territories of Sinaloa, Sonora, Chihuahua and Durango, and in the US territories of Arizona. This ritual dance exposes through movement, the complex relationship between humans and nature, and shows us how this connection allows Túuri to fulfill his dream. 

In the language of the Yoremes, Túuri means good and it’s the name of the main character, whose journey starts when he enters a cavern with his friends and is enchanted by a cave painting depicting a deer. Túuri, a boy who brings the joy of life to his friends and is aware of his limitations, shares with them and his family a newfound vision grounded in the will to achieve the impossible. But this will is tested when Túuri falls ill while preparing to perform the Dance of the Deer. Could it be the pascolas or evil spirits who want to stop Túuri from his debut? 

With melodic images, the author commemorates the traditions and the vision of the Yoreme (those who respect), in a narration dedicated to accentuate the telluric customs, the pristine traditions which honor the determination and drive of an individual, regardless of his or her condition or age. This book is a portal to explore the world and dance to the beat of a sacred drum, dressed with rattles; to see the world through the eyes of a boy with down syndrome and feel our spirits flourish.

Refugio Pereida was born in Ozumbilla, Mexico (1970). She studied Journalism and Collective Communications at UNAM with a degree in Creative Writing in the School of Writers SOGEM. She received the Premio Nacional de Poesía Amado Nervo in 1999. She has published: Suerte de rabia; ¡Vale! ¡Vale!; Los Nada; De noche, una calle and Palabra sucia.

Tuúri is a publication of the National Commission of Human Rights, Mexico, and can be downloaded for free. Click here to download. 
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Reviewed by
Rossy E. Lima
4/1/2018

Rossy Evelin Lima, PhD, is an international award-winning poet. She has been awarded the Gabriela Mistral Award by the National Hispanic Honor Society, the Premio Internazionale di Poesia Altino in Italy, the International Latino Book Award, the Premio Orgullo Fronterizo Mexicano award by the Institute for Mexicans Abroad, the Premio Internazionale La Finestra Eterea in Italy, among others. She is the president and founder of the Latin American Foundation for the Arts, the founder of the International Latin American Poetry Festival (FeIPoL), as well as the founder of Jade Publishing. 

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