The Jaguar and the Cacao Tree
Release Date:
March 2016
Max Hammond has a life other science-obsessed boys his age only dream of: he travels the world with his bee researcher dad and science writer mom.
When the Hammond family arrives in Guatemala to study the enigmatic stingless bees of the Maya, Max meets Itzel, a young Maya girl who introduces him to the magic and wonders of rainforest gardens and animal spirit guides. It’s a world that transforms the meaning of all the science Max has ever learned—but its magic is not always benevolent.
One night, Itzel takes Max to an ancient cacao tree tended in secret deep in the jungle by an elite group of Elders. Neither Max nor Itzel are prepared for the forces they unleash when they open the pods of the sacred tree, forces that turn everything they know about the history of cacao upside down, threaten the past and future of the world’s most desirable food, and, worse still, awaken two mythic beasts guarding the very DNA of cacao.
Includes 32 chapter illustrations and an appreciation by Dr. Allen Young, curator emeritus at the Milwaukee Public Museum and author of The Chocolate Tree.
EARLY PRAISE
"A mesmerizing, imaginative smorgasbord of facts and fantasy blended into a charming tale."
-- Dr. Allen Young, author of The Chocolate Tree
"The Jaguar and the Cacao Tree offers an original perspective on a meeting of ancient and modern cultures in the forests of Guatemala, whilst deftly revealing the threads that bind us all together. A heady blend of honey and chocolate, science and mythology, help oil the wheels of this rollercoaster treat for younger readers."
-- Dan Eatherley, author of Bushmaster: Raymond Ditmars and the Hunt for the World’s Largest Viper
Format: Print and eBook
Page count: 330
Audience: upper middle grade/ages 9-13.