Jade is starting eighth grade in a new city—Atlanta. She just wants to go back to Chicago, where her friends are. Where her Abuela lives.

But Jade does like walking to her new school on the trail that winds through the woods behind her house, where lush flowers bloom and soft leaves rustle beneath her feet. In the forest, Jade feels protected. Sometimes, it’s as if it’s listening to her.

There, Jade meets Itztli, an elderly storyteller who exists between dreams and reality. In the golden afternoons when Itztli appears, he steps out of the forest as a lithe, agile jaguar. But when he speaks to Jade, he is a wise old man who makes intricate works of art and tells her ancestral stories of Mexico. At first, Itztli’s stories feel far removed from Jade’s life. But as her Abuela suddenly falls ill, two towers come crashing down in New York City, and Jade becomes someone or something she doesn’t yet understand, Itztli’s stories take on new meaning. Jade must learn to have patience and strength to become who she was always meant to be, as the stirrings of an ancient power awaken within her.

What the Jaguar Told Her is a lyrical debut about growing up in the midst of change, and a magical cultural homecoming.

P R A I S E

★ “Explores themes of identity, friendship, crushes, loss, and looking for answers to life’s toughest questions in sumptuous detail. A thoughtful, richly woven tapestry illuminating the pains and joys of growing up.”
—Kirkus (starred)

“With lush language and and excellent structure, this novel captures the beauty of family, stories,  changes—many magical—that come with growing up.”
—School Library Journal

“A reminder to hold the stories of family and culture near and dear to our hearts before they are lost to the world. The magic realism and tie-in to Latino folklore create a wonderful coming-of-age story about a girl who’s exploring who she is while discovering the power of stories through art.”
—Booklist

Jade está a punto de comenzar el segundo grado de secundaria en una nueva ciudad––Atlanta. Ella solo quiere regresar a Chicago, donde están sus amigos y donde vive su abuela. Pero Jade disfruta caminar a su nueva escuela por el camino en el bosque detrás de su casa, donde las flores florecen y las hojas se mueven debajo de sus pies. En el bosque, Jade se siente segura, como si el bosque la estuviera escuchando. Es ahí donde Jade conoce a Itztli, un cuentacuentos que existe entre los sueños y la realidad. Durante el atardecer, Itztli aparece transformado en un jaguar. Pero cuando habla con Jade, es un anciano sabio que hace intrincadas obras de arte y le cuenta las historias ancestrales de México. Al principio, las historias de Itztli se sienten muy alejadas de la vida de Jade. Pero cuando su abuela se enferma repentinamente, dos torres se derrumban en la ciudad de Nueva York, y Jade se convierte en alguien o algo que aún no logra comprender, las historias de Itztli toman un nuevo significado. Jade debe aprender a tener la paciencia y la fuerza para convertirse en quien siempre estaba destinada a ser, cuando un antiguo poder empieza a despertar dentro de ella.