Author: Frank P. Araujo, PhD
Artist: Xiao Jun Li
Genre: Fantasy / Folktale / Drama / Animal
Year Published: 1993
Year Read: 2003
Publisher: Rayve Productions
Source: Library
Content Rating: Ages 6+ (Some Threatening Moments)
Buy or Add on: Amazon // Goodreads
Whew, it has been many years since I last read this obscure
children’s book that came from the Basque Pyrenees! “Nekane,
the Lamina, and the Bear” is a Basque Pyrenees folktale written by Frank P. Araujo, PhD along with
illustrations by Xiao Jun Li and
this story basically contains trickery, drama and pure wits that will have
children sitting on the edge of their seats!
Nekane, a young Basque girl of the Pyrenees Mountains,
was asked by her mother to bring olive oil and fish to her Uncle Kepa, but she
must be careful of the lamina, a forest spirit who would try to steal her olive
oil and fish. As Nekane goes through the
forest, she notices that the Lamina was trying to trick her in to stealing her
basket, but it did not succeed. Then,
Nekane meets up with a large and frightening bear who threatened to eat her and
her fish. Nekane then thinks quickly by
convincing the bear to follow her to her Uncle Kepa’s house so that she could
give the bear some honey. But, when
Nekane finally gets to her Uncle Kepa’s house…
What happens when Nekane gets inside her Uncle Kepa’s house?
Read this story to find out!
Frank P. Araujo, PhD
really made this book come alive as it is full of excitement and tension that
will get many readers interested in this strange and unique folktale! I also loved the fact that Frank P. Araujo, PhD retold this story from
his childhood, which I found extremely endearing as it brought a more personal
touch to the story. I really loved the
Basque glossary at the end of the book as it helped me understand more about
the Basque language. I loved the heroine Nekane as she is shown to be a clever
and resourceful girl who is able to get herself out of trouble by using her
wits and her knowledge about the Lamina’s various forms. Xiao
Jun Li’s illustrations are truly creative as it captures the dramatic
spirit of this story. I loved the way
that Xiao Jun Li done the water
coloring for the illustrations as they are colorful and vivid to look at. I really loved the illustrations of the bear
as the bear is shown to be extremely huge and frightening as it has red eyes
that make it truly menacing. I also
loved the way that the bear’s form filled up the entire page giving it such a
brooding presence in the story.
Parents should know that the images of the bear and the
lamina might scare smaller children since they look extremely frightening and
menacing. Also, the fact that both the
lamina and the bear threatened Nekane, who is a young girl, might also disturb
smaller children.
Overall, “Nekane, the
Lamina, and the Bear” is a truly wonderful book for anyone who is
interested in reading folktales from Basque Pyrenees. I would recommend this book to children ages
six and up since the bear and the lamina might frighten smaller children and
the Basque terms might be difficult for smaller children to understand.
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