What do you think?
Rate this book
The Jaguar and the Cacao Tree
If you liked The Golden Compass and The Chronicles of Narnia, be prepared to fall in love with mythic fantasy all over again.
The Jaguar and the Cacao Tree
pulls you into a mesmerizing world that blurs the lines between science, mythology, and the hidden magic of nature.
Max Hammond has a life other science-obsessed boys his age only dream 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.
The Jaguar and the Cacao Tree is Book One of the "Max and the Code of Harvests" series.
Includes 32 chapter illustrations and an appreciation by Dr. Allen Young, curator emeritus at the Milwaukee Public Museum and author of The Chocolate Tree.
REVIEWS
One of the world's authorities on chocolate, the C-Spot.com, calls the book "a strong contender for the best [chocolate] title in the last 5 years."
The School Library Journal says this is "...a unique middle grade novel that expertly blends magic, science, culture, and ecological awareness."
Foreword Reviews selected The Jaguar and the Cacao Tree as one of "Six Best YA Books of Summer 2016".
Max Hammond has a life other science-obsessed boys his age only dream 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.
The Jaguar and the Cacao Tree is Book One of the "Max and the Code of Harvests" series.
Includes 32 chapter illustrations and an appreciation by Dr. Allen Young, curator emeritus at the Milwaukee Public Museum and author of The Chocolate Tree.
REVIEWS
One of the world's authorities on chocolate, the C-Spot.com, calls the book "a strong contender for the best [chocolate] title in the last 5 years."
The School Library Journal says this is "...a unique middle grade novel that expertly blends magic, science, culture, and ecological awareness."
Foreword Reviews selected The Jaguar and the Cacao Tree as one of "Six Best YA Books of Summer 2016".
332 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 22, 2016
4 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Birgitte Rasine
14 books8 followersCzech-American author Birgitte Rasine writes literary fiction that pulls the beauty and the pain of the human experience out into the open by their very roots. It’s raw, it’s resolute, and it’s real. Every story Birgitte writes is born from an actual event or experience and probes the deeper, if inconvenient, truths about the human psyche and modern society.
Compared by many readers to James Joyce and Edgar Allan Poe, Birgitte’s work leaves you doubting whether the ground you’ve been walking on is really as solid as you thought.
Birgitte’s innate curiosity about the human soul and the human experience fuels the fires of her propensity to probe far beyond the usual pleasantries of social relationships and ask the questions no one really likes to talk about. These twisting undercurrents, like grapes slowly maturing on the vine, have shaped Birgitte’s signature literary style, the “thought-stream” stories that debuted with “Confession.”
In her professional lifetime, Birgitte has sported a great many writer’s hats: journalist, poet, playwright, screenwriter, business editor, copywriter. She composed her first poem at the age of six in Czech, her native language, reciting it in the evenings to her baby sister when they were both supposed to be sleeping. As a journalist, she wrote for Business Week, The Hollywood Reporter and Daily Variety, the entertainment media industry’s two leading publications, and Diálogo Mediterráneo, a tri-lingual journal on policy, economy and the environment in the Mediterranean region. From 1994 to 1996 she wrote screenplays for an independent production company in Los Angeles; in 1997, three of her plays for children were staged in the San Francisco Bay Area. Prior to that, she worked in visual effects, camera and lighting on Hollywood and independent feature films for companies such as PDI/Dreamworks, ILM, Universal Studios, HBO, and Disney, and credits them for giving her time in the trenches.
In addition to her writing, Birgitte serves as the Chief Evolution Officer (CEO) of LUCITÀ Inc., a hybrid design and communications firm.
Birgitte holds a BA in Film Aesthetics from Stanford University, studied cinematography at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, and completed a professional masters degree in international relations in Spanish at the Instituto Universitario Ortega y Gasset in Madrid, Spain. She is a Founding Circle member of the Association of Women in Water, Energy and the Environment, as well as member of other professional organizations, and sits on the board of directors of the American Fund for Czech and Slovak Leadership Studies, a non profit organization in New York City dedicated to supporting the leaders of tomorrow. She lives in Northern California with her family.
Compared by many readers to James Joyce and Edgar Allan Poe, Birgitte’s work leaves you doubting whether the ground you’ve been walking on is really as solid as you thought.
Birgitte’s innate curiosity about the human soul and the human experience fuels the fires of her propensity to probe far beyond the usual pleasantries of social relationships and ask the questions no one really likes to talk about. These twisting undercurrents, like grapes slowly maturing on the vine, have shaped Birgitte’s signature literary style, the “thought-stream” stories that debuted with “Confession.”
In her professional lifetime, Birgitte has sported a great many writer’s hats: journalist, poet, playwright, screenwriter, business editor, copywriter. She composed her first poem at the age of six in Czech, her native language, reciting it in the evenings to her baby sister when they were both supposed to be sleeping. As a journalist, she wrote for Business Week, The Hollywood Reporter and Daily Variety, the entertainment media industry’s two leading publications, and Diálogo Mediterráneo, a tri-lingual journal on policy, economy and the environment in the Mediterranean region. From 1994 to 1996 she wrote screenplays for an independent production company in Los Angeles; in 1997, three of her plays for children were staged in the San Francisco Bay Area. Prior to that, she worked in visual effects, camera and lighting on Hollywood and independent feature films for companies such as PDI/Dreamworks, ILM, Universal Studios, HBO, and Disney, and credits them for giving her time in the trenches.
In addition to her writing, Birgitte serves as the Chief Evolution Officer (CEO) of LUCITÀ Inc., a hybrid design and communications firm.
Birgitte holds a BA in Film Aesthetics from Stanford University, studied cinematography at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, and completed a professional masters degree in international relations in Spanish at the Instituto Universitario Ortega y Gasset in Madrid, Spain. She is a Founding Circle member of the Association of Women in Water, Energy and the Environment, as well as member of other professional organizations, and sits on the board of directors of the American Fund for Czech and Slovak Leadership Studies, a non profit organization in New York City dedicated to supporting the leaders of tomorrow. She lives in Northern California with her family.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 17, 2017
The Jaguar and the Cacao Tree is a magical tale that weaves together history, science, ecology, adventure, friendship and rivalry into a compelling read that is hard to put down. 11-year old Max Hammond is heading off to Guatemala so that his scientist parents can study and report on stingless bees who may just have the answer to the puzzling problem of bee colonies dying off all over the world. Max, an amateur scientist himself, is really excited about this latest family adventure and has worked feverishly to prepare himself for the trip. Bravely asking his parents on his very first morning if he can go and sit with the Maya children at the compound where his parents will be working, Max meets Itzel, a Maya girl destined for an important role in maintaining the sacred balance of life in the rainforest, with a special connection to an ancient cacao tree. Max and Itzel form a fast bond with each other and the living creatures that inhabit the sacred land, and tap into the ancient spirits that have protected the Mayan paradise for centuries. With hearts in the right place but a lot to learn, Max, Itzel, and Itzel's brother Juan yearn to participate in the critical work that generation after generation has carried out in these ancient lands. But children don't know everything and any mistake can not only unsettle the balance of life in Guatemala but could also have disastrous impacts for the whole world.
I absolutely LOVED this book. We have a treat we sell in our shop that is a combination of dark chocolate, caramel, and sea salt. When you bite into it you get all of these flavors that come together, bursting into your taste buds, and making you want more and more. The Jaguar and the Cacao tree does just that. You immediately fall in love with the characters, and as you get to know them more deeply, and as you get drawn into the story, you also find yourself learning a lot about history, science, the environment, Mayan mythology, and how to build and maintain healthy relationships with people, animals, the land, all living things as well as the spiritual realm.
One of my favorite things about the book is the inclusion of text in ancient Mayan and more modern Spanish, always translated so that the reader never feels left out, but done in a way that after a while, even someone who has never studied Spanish will find themselves understanding what's happening before reading the translations. Another favorite element of the book is that the story has the children communicating directly with animals while maintaining the true nature of those animals, respecting their unique abilities and viewpoints on how the world works, rather than trying to "humanize" them.
Just enough adventure, just enough dialogue, just enough character development, just enough mystery, just enough chocolate, just enough learning... the only thing there wasn't just enough of was...... a sequel. At least, not yet! I can't wait for Max's next adventure!!
I absolutely LOVED this book. We have a treat we sell in our shop that is a combination of dark chocolate, caramel, and sea salt. When you bite into it you get all of these flavors that come together, bursting into your taste buds, and making you want more and more. The Jaguar and the Cacao tree does just that. You immediately fall in love with the characters, and as you get to know them more deeply, and as you get drawn into the story, you also find yourself learning a lot about history, science, the environment, Mayan mythology, and how to build and maintain healthy relationships with people, animals, the land, all living things as well as the spiritual realm.
One of my favorite things about the book is the inclusion of text in ancient Mayan and more modern Spanish, always translated so that the reader never feels left out, but done in a way that after a while, even someone who has never studied Spanish will find themselves understanding what's happening before reading the translations. Another favorite element of the book is that the story has the children communicating directly with animals while maintaining the true nature of those animals, respecting their unique abilities and viewpoints on how the world works, rather than trying to "humanize" them.
Just enough adventure, just enough dialogue, just enough character development, just enough mystery, just enough chocolate, just enough learning... the only thing there wasn't just enough of was...... a sequel. At least, not yet! I can't wait for Max's next adventure!!
May 24, 2021
What a great read! My son and I read this as part of a book club associated with our Meso-American studies. This was such a unique story; so encouraging to read a book connecting to wild Earth and environmental stewardship without feeling like a lecture or hopeless quest.
I won't get into plot summary or spoilers other than to say if you like chocolate or Mayan mythology, or both, then this book is right up your alley. Despite there being mention of a sequel(which I will totally read or beta read or whatever it takes to get my hands on a copy) this book is a complete story in and of itself, so no unpleasant cliffhangers. It is geared towards tweens and teens(I think) but I found it fun and enjoyable; very descriptive, mysterious, and engaging.
I won't get into plot summary or spoilers other than to say if you like chocolate or Mayan mythology, or both, then this book is right up your alley. Despite there being mention of a sequel(which I will totally read or beta read or whatever it takes to get my hands on a copy) this book is a complete story in and of itself, so no unpleasant cliffhangers. It is geared towards tweens and teens(I think) but I found it fun and enjoyable; very descriptive, mysterious, and engaging.
June 28, 2020
No doubt that this book is well researched when it comes to chocolate and culture. That is definite. When it comes to readability for its target audience I think that it falls short. If this is a middle reader the pace is slow and language erudite and long-winded.
July 31, 2016
I was asked to review this upcoming book, which will be published in March 2016. This was a thrilling and marvelous book in almost every way. It’s full of adventure, mythology, magic and a wondrous plot. The book is about two kids, Max and Itzel, and their adventures in the jungles of Guatemala. It is also about Mayan life and mythology where the legends actually come to life!
Max is eleven year old boy who gets to travel the world. His father is a bee researcher whose job takes him to exotic places and his mother is a science writer who helps Max’s father. The book begins when Max’s family goes to Guatemala to research a unique type of bee. There, they stay with a small Mayan village, near the jungle, where Max meets a young Mayan girl names Itzel. Itzel teaches Max about the ancient Mayan culture and traditions and together, they have numerous adventures in the jungle. For example, they encounter serpents and jaguars, and re-home honeybees.
The biggest adventure they have is when, one night, Itzel takes Max to a sacred cacao tree where, during the full moon, the Mayan elders perform a ritual with the cacao pods. But when Max and Itzel realize it’s not the night of the full moon, they have to hurry back to the village before they are discovered missing and near the sacred tree, where they are not allowed. As they are leaving, they discover several of the sacred cacao pods had fallen off the tree. When they open the pods, they accidentally release the sacred pollen inside and find themselves in deep trouble with one of the Mayan mythological deities.
This book taught me a lot about the Mayan ways. For example, Itzel explains that naguals are “spirit guides.” In the book, Max actually meets his nagual, a hummingbird ... [more at http://www.phoebesbookshelf.com/revie... ]
Max is eleven year old boy who gets to travel the world. His father is a bee researcher whose job takes him to exotic places and his mother is a science writer who helps Max’s father. The book begins when Max’s family goes to Guatemala to research a unique type of bee. There, they stay with a small Mayan village, near the jungle, where Max meets a young Mayan girl names Itzel. Itzel teaches Max about the ancient Mayan culture and traditions and together, they have numerous adventures in the jungle. For example, they encounter serpents and jaguars, and re-home honeybees.
The biggest adventure they have is when, one night, Itzel takes Max to a sacred cacao tree where, during the full moon, the Mayan elders perform a ritual with the cacao pods. But when Max and Itzel realize it’s not the night of the full moon, they have to hurry back to the village before they are discovered missing and near the sacred tree, where they are not allowed. As they are leaving, they discover several of the sacred cacao pods had fallen off the tree. When they open the pods, they accidentally release the sacred pollen inside and find themselves in deep trouble with one of the Mayan mythological deities.
This book taught me a lot about the Mayan ways. For example, Itzel explains that naguals are “spirit guides.” In the book, Max actually meets his nagual, a hummingbird ... [more at http://www.phoebesbookshelf.com/revie... ]
April 21, 2016
This is a wonderful book about an American boy and a Mayan girl.
Max comes with his parents to Guatemala to study the Cacao tree. There he meets Itzal and Juan, two Mayan kids. Max and Itzel hit it off and she teaches him about the jungle and also shares her secrets with him. As they move through the jungle and Max learns more about the Mayan culture and history, he also learns about himself and what he is capable of.
This is an interesting book about chocolate (it comes from the cacao bean) and history of the Mayan people. The way it is written makes you want to read more. Kids and adults alike will love this story and also learn about chocolate and Mayan culture. I like the way the Spanish (Hispanic) e Mayan languages are interspersed in the story--makes it all the more real just as the characters are.
I got this book free from the Story Cartel in exchange for my review.
Max comes with his parents to Guatemala to study the Cacao tree. There he meets Itzal and Juan, two Mayan kids. Max and Itzel hit it off and she teaches him about the jungle and also shares her secrets with him. As they move through the jungle and Max learns more about the Mayan culture and history, he also learns about himself and what he is capable of.
This is an interesting book about chocolate (it comes from the cacao bean) and history of the Mayan people. The way it is written makes you want to read more. Kids and adults alike will love this story and also learn about chocolate and Mayan culture. I like the way the Spanish (Hispanic) e Mayan languages are interspersed in the story--makes it all the more real just as the characters are.
I got this book free from the Story Cartel in exchange for my review.
June 14, 2016
History, Culture, Chocolate - and More!
The perfect combination of history, mythology, culture and chocolate! This book is a magical tale of a young boy who experiences the adventure of a lifetime in the rainforest of Guatemala. I loved the descriptive language and had to appreciate and admire the amount of research that clearly went into writing this book. A story for young and old, get ready to be taken into a colorful world where you will rediscover the wonders of nature. I can’t wait to follow Max on his next adventure!
The perfect combination of history, mythology, culture and chocolate! This book is a magical tale of a young boy who experiences the adventure of a lifetime in the rainforest of Guatemala. I loved the descriptive language and had to appreciate and admire the amount of research that clearly went into writing this book. A story for young and old, get ready to be taken into a colorful world where you will rediscover the wonders of nature. I can’t wait to follow Max on his next adventure!
September 12, 2016
This book delves into the world of chocolate through the eyes of a young boy, Max, and his friend, Itzel. Together they learn the important role of the Maya in cultivating and using various forms of chocolate. An engaging story packed with facts told in a fascinating and colorful setting. Easy to read and easy to lose yourself while immersed in another world.
April 9, 2016
Well written but I feel it's too densely packed with information for the age level of the intended reader.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews