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Literary Review:
“Ukuku conoce al sol (English title: Ukuku the Spectacled Bear Finds the Sun)”
by Ilse Zandstra.

“Ukuku conoce al sol” front cover

Ukuku is the name of a little bear. Not just any bear. A Peruvian bear. In fact, Ukuku is a spectacled bear, the only true bear found in South America. In her charming children's book titled Ukuku conoce al sol (in English, Ukuku the Spectacled Bear Finds the Sun), Ilse Zandstra tells young readers about the adventures of this curious bear and, in the process, a lot about the habitat and lifestyle of these unique bears.

Ukuku lives in the cloud forest, high in the rugged Andes, where it often rains and the sun seldom shines. One day, however, Ukuku sees a spot of sun shining through the forest and becomes determined to find the sun. He tries climbing a number of indigenous trees, from a small, red cinnamon tree that bends over with his weight, to a giant mahogany tree. As he and his sister Yunga grow, they learn to survive on fruits, palm nuts, insects and flowers that they find in the forest. They also have to learn to build their own nests, platforms made of leaves, in the branches of tall trees. But Ukuku never forgets his dream of finding the sun, and his quest puts him in contact with a number of animals found in the cloud forest, including snakes, jaguars, birds, yellow-tailed monkeys, three-toed sloths and dwarf deer.

The book, which was published in Spanish in May, makes a perfect gift for children ages 5-9. Beautifully illustrated by Carmen García, the 48-page soft-cover book is part of the “Torre de Papel” series produced by Norma Publishers of Columbia. It sells for 14 soles and will be available in Lima bookstores in June. More adventures of Ukuku, a Quechua word for spectacled bear, are already being planned, along with an English version.

Ilse, who has resided in Lima for the past 13 years, is a member of the American and Canadian Association and was the editor of its Newsletter back in 1992 and 1993. She began the project two years ago while working on another book, The Amber Coast. This memoir recounts how her family fled from Latvia during World War II and finally immigrated to Canada. “I needed a break from writing that very emotional book,” said Ilse, who is a biologist and plant geneticist by training, and has a keen interest in nature, archeology and Peruvian history. “There were a lot of books in the library about bears,” she said, “but no book about the spectacled bear.” What began as a descriptive account of the bears soon turned into a fictionalized story.

Ilse's first book, The Tulip Tree, is a novel that grew out of the terrorist takeover of the Japanese ambassador's residence in December 1996. Both Ilse and her husband, Hubert, who is Director General of the International Potato Center, were held hostage, and, says Ilse, it was a “life-changing experience.” Ilse is currently writing another novel and is also an avid tennis player. She has two grown sons and four granddaughters, all living in Canada. -- Virginia Vickers Braun

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