There was once a time when the world was already full of life, but things had not yet been given an order. An opossum headed for the hills with the aim of stealing some of the gods' fire, and thus bringing light into the world. The furry thief also created the measure of time, thus giving life its rhythm.
The opossum, called «el tlacuache» in Spanish, is one of the oldest mammals in the world. It plays an important role in the mythology of Mexico's indigenous cultures. They say it was the tlacuache that gave maize its white, yellow and blue colour too.

The author

Ana Paula Ojeda was born in Mexico City in 1993. She studied intercultural management at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Ojeda has already worked in various community projects and is particularly interested in Mexico's traditional and indigenous cultures. This led to her desire to write about pre-Columbian and contemporary myths and the worldviews of various indigenous communities.

The illustrator

Juan Palomino was born in Mexico City in 1984. He studied philosophy at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and has been illustrating books for children and youngsters since 2008. Palomino's works have been exhibited in Mexico and Italy. In 2008 he came second in the "Catalogue of Illustrators of Books for Children and Youngsters" (Catálogo de Ilustradores de Publicaciones Infantiles y Juveniles), published by Mexico's National Council for Culture and the Arts (Conaculta), and in 2013 he was winner of the 4th Iberoamerican Catalogue of Illustration (IV Catálogo Iberoamericano de Ilustración) by the SM foundation.