Bibliography
Mora, Pat. 1996. Confetti: Poems for children. Illus. Sanchez, Enrique O. New York: Lee and Low Books. ISBN 978-1-880000-85-4
Plot summary
A collection of thirteen free verse poems for children. The poems celebrate the beauty of nature and the Mexican American culture in the southwestern United States.
Critical analysis
Like confetti, the poems are light and colorful, full of life and joy. The words seem to float in the air and gently come down as the poems are read aloud. The poems are free verse but some of them have a rhythm all their own and other poems have repetitive lines which make them great to read aloud and children will love listening to them. The narrator of the poems is a little Mexican American girl who is enjoying nature, her culture and the people in her life.
Each poem in this collection is accompanied by a brightly colored illustration done in acrylic on paper. The illustrations provide a beautiful, vibrant visual of each poem. Most of the illustrations have the narrator of the poems, a little girl, who is drawn with common Latino features, dark hair and brown skin. The illustrations also depict the people, animals, objects, colors and places that the poems are about. One poem “River Voice” is about a river that flows in the desert. A few other illustrations are also set in the Southwest desert with saguaro cactus and cliffs. The people in the poems are illustrated with diverse skin tone and hair color and clothing.
There is a sprinkling of Spanish throughout the poems although not every poem has a Spanish word in it. A glossary of Spanish terms used in the poems is provided at the end of the books but is not really necessary because the illustrations and context helps readers know their meaning. Elements of the Mexican American culture are throughout the poems and illustrations. One poem “Purple Snake” is about the colorful wooden animals carved out of wood, alebrijes, that are made by Don Luis. Alebrijes are brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures of animals that are usually carved out of copal wood. Another poem is aptly titled “Mexican Magician” which is about a baker who makes sweet breads, marranitos, which are pig shaped cookies made with gingerbread and empanadas, which are turnovers filled with pineapple and pumpkin. The poem “I Hear, I Hear” mentions the Tarahumaras, a group of Native Americans indigenous to northern Mexico and the illustration on the corresponding page had a couple of people drawn with authentic clothing and items of corn, drums and tortillas. The poem “Dancing Paper” is about colored paper, papel picado (perforated paper), cascarones (confetti eggs), serpentinas (paper coils) and piñatas which are some other cultural markers that are most commonly associated with Mexico.
The poem “Words Free as Confetti” describes words using all the senses and colors. This poem is the twelfth poem but it should have been placed as either the first or last poem. All the poems in this collection use words which awaken the senses and are colorful like confetti.
Awards
2004 Arizona Governor’s Book Award
1996 Notable Books for a Global Society from the International Reading Association
1996 CCBC Choices (Cooperative Children’s Book Center)
Américas Commended List, 1996
Review excerpts
MultiCultural Review v. 6 (June 1997) p. 92
"{The} poems in this collection are reminiscent of confetti because of their light, fun appeal, which will engage children immediately. The book will do well in primary classrooms where teachers can use it for reading aloud. The author has chosen the sun, clouds, leaves, and wind as topics for many of the poems. Four of the other poems use people as the anchors for telling stories about a magical baker, a wood sculptor, a grandmother's lap, and the sounds of life in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. . . . The only drawback to this poetry book is that it is written in English with a few Spanish words sprinkled here and there. It is a shame that a bilingual format was not attempted since over half of the poems have a Hispanic theme and the children are clearly Hispanic." González-Jensen, Margarita, reviewer
Booklist v. 93 (November 15 1996) p. 592
"Using Spanish and English, this collection of poems is as much fun to look at as it is to read. In 'Colors Crackle, Colors Roar,' Mora writes, 'Gris whis-whis-whispers its kitten whispers' and 'azul coo-coo-coo like pajaritos do.' In 'Purple Snake,' a wood-carver with rough and wrinkled hands tells a young onlooker that animals are 'asleep in a piece of wood'—until he releases them by carving them out. Featuring an assortment of subjects, these short poems incorporate varying amounts of Spanish into the English text. Sanchez's illustrations . . . are full of color and provide youngsters with strong links to the subjects and activities in the poems. A good choice for choral reading or for reading aloud." Morgan, Karen, reviewer
Connections
Get some colorful confetti and throw it in the air as you read the poem “Word Free as Confetti”
Find some albrijas to show children and let look at them, touch and feel them.
Get some marranitos and empandas for children to taste.
Other poetry books by Pat Mora
Mora, Pat. Yum! mmmm! qué rico!: Americas' sproutings.Illus. López, Rafael. New York: Lee & Low Books Inc., 2007.
Mora, Pat. 1995. The Desert is my Mother: El desierto es mi madre. Illus. Lechon, Daniel. Piñata Books. ISBN 1-55885-121-6
http://www.patmora.com/
Picture Book
Bibliography
Morales, Yuyi. 2008. Just in Case: ATrickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book. New York: Roaring Book Press. ISBN 1-59643-329-9
Plot summary
This book is a companion book to “Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book” by Yuyi Morales. Señor Calavera is a Grim Reaper like character, who had paid a visit to Grandma Beetle on her birthday but she kept asking him to wait for her for “Just a minute” as she finished her preparations for her party. He had so much fun at her party that he granted her another year of life so that he could attend her next birthday party.
In the book “Just in Case” the time has come for Grandma Beetle to celebrate another birthday and Señor Calavera is excited to attend the party because he had a blast at her last celebration. As he is riding his bike on the way to her party, Zelmiro the Ghost appears and asks if Señor Calavera is taking the best present “Grandma Beetle would love the most” and asks him to look again “Just in case…”. Señor Calavera goes through the entire alphabet choosing presents that Grandma Beetle would love, while Zelmiro keeps asking him to look again and again, “Just in Case…”. After an unfortunate crash, Señor Calavera finally makes it to Grandma Beetle’s party with the most important present she would love the best, Grandpa Zelmiro.
Critical analysis
This is an interlingual alphabet concept book. The text is written in English with one word in Spanish for every letter of the alphabet, including the Spanish letters, ch, ll, and ñ. Some of the gifts Señor Calavera gathers for Grandma Beetle are unusual and unique such as “Bigotes. A mustache because she had none.” and “Niebla. Fog, to play hide-and-seek in.” A few of the items he gathers are authentic to the Mexican culture such as “una Lotería” a lottery bingo like game, “quince años” (fifteen years which is a reference to a debutante ball given to girls at the age of fifteen ) and a xilografía (a piece of wood engraved art which is illustrated with a Lucha Libre wrestler.)
A skeleton that represents death and a ghost might seem like scary characters for a children’s book, but there is nothing scary in this delightful story. Señor Calavera is a colorful, lively character illustrated as a skeleton ready for Día de los Muertos. Señor Calavera’s skull is decorated with pink and blue outlines around his teeth, flowers as the irises of his eyes, purple eyebrows, yellow dotted eyelashes and dots sprinkled around his nose. He wears a fedora hat and tie. He also rides a bike for transportation. His facial expressions display his emotions of happiness, sadness, frustration and worry as he gathers gifts for Grandma Beetle. Zelmiro the ghost is illustrated as chubby grandfather, who floats in the air and is slightly transparent in the shades of the background color of each layout.
Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday celebrated on November 1 and 2 celebrating the lives of departed loved ones by decorating graves, skulls and skeletons with colorful designs, clothing, flowers and food. It is believed that the souls of the departed come back to Earth to join loved ones and celebrate on those days. The brightly colored, costumed skeletons symbolize an acceptance that death is part of the life cycle and in some ways pokes fun of it. Part of the title of the book is “A Trickster Tale” and Señor Calavera is the one getting tricked. Zelmiro has tricked him into allowing him to return to Earth to celebrate with his wife on her birthday.
The illustrations portray the Latino culture in many ways. Grandma Beetle and Zelmiro are drawn with brown skin as well as the nine grandchildren. The nine grandchildren all have different shades of brown hair and skin tone. The first and last pages of the book are pictures of Lotería cards with Spanish words. Some objects are simple objects like a doll, guitar and star, others are in reference to the Mexican culture, such as “La Artista” which is a drawing of Frida Kahlo, a famous Mexican artist, “El guarache” a Mexcian sandal, “El Metate” a grinding stone to grind seed and grains, and brightly colored wooden toys painted in colors typically associated with Mexico, green, white and red (in reference to the Mexican flag) and bright colors of red, orange, green and yellow.
While the book “Just in Case” can stand on its own, the story line will be enhanced if “Just a Minute” is read before it. The stories are not about Día de los Muertos but a little background knowledge on the Mexican holiday will also help in a thorough understanding of both stories.
Awards
2009 Pura Belpé Illustrator Award
Review Excerpts
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books v. 62 no. 4 (December 2008) p. 164
"Morales' alphabetic litany is intriguing, . . . and her precise and conversational text is perfect for reading aloud. The patterns and repetitions in this original trickster tale also give it a strong folkloric grounding. Her magical realistic paintings call to mind Mexican folk art with their layered rich colors, ethereal supernatural beings, and small decorative details. Señor Calavera is a charming hero, with his cheerfully decorated skull, stripy tie, and jaunty fedora. . . . Especially useful for Spanish teachers or those wishing to incorporate Mexican culture into the classroom, this is also a gleefully macabre joy in its own right." Hulick, Jeannette
The Horn Book v. 85 no. 1 (January/February 2009) p. 81-2
"Morales's full-bleed art, in brilliant sunset hues, portrays an amiable, dreamlike world where weightless, comfortably rounded figures swirl joyously among the creative assemblage of gifts. Whether Grandma gets another ‘Quince años’ or, as the sparkles in her hair suggest, joins her Zelmiro sooner, it will be a happy outcome. What a beguiling (and bilingual) offering!" Long, Joanna Rudge
Connections
Companion book
Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book by Yuyi Morales
Morales, Yuyi. 2003. Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book. California: Chronicle Books LLC. ISBN: 0811837580
http://www.yuyimorales.com/
Books about Día de los Muertos
Ancona,George. 1993. Pablo remembers:the fiesta of the day of the dead. New York, NY: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780688112493
Johnston, Tony. 2000. Day of the Dead.illus. Winter, Jeanette. Sandpiper. ISBN 0152024468
Winter, Jeanette. 2006. Calavera Abecedario: A Day of the Dead Alphabet Book. Sandpiper. ISBN 0152059067
Novel
Bibliography
Soto, Gary.1997. Buried onions. San Diego,Calif.:Harcourt Brace.ISBN 0-15-206265-3
Plot summary
Eddie grew up and lives in the barrios of Fresno, California. Life is hard for Eddie. He is nineteen years old and trying to stay out of trouble and make a living for himself but bad luck seems to follow him around. He has dropped out of college and is trying to find work but jobs are elusive so he has resorted to painting addresses on curbs and doing yard work in middle class neighborhoods in Fresno. His family and some of his friends are trying to pull Eddie into a life he does not desire. His aunt and friend Angel want him to avenge the death of his cousin, who was killed at a club. He always has to watch his back and is paranoid about getting jumped. There were very few people in Eddie's life that he can trust. He doesn’t have many good role models in this life. A friend who has joined the Marines, José, comes to visit and Eddie begins to see the military as his only way out of the barrio. He searches within himself and seeks the advice from Coach, an ex-gang banger and Vietnam vet who runs the community recreation center. Coach asked Eddie if he has considered joining the military. After a bad incident with some guys he had once considered friends he decides to join the navy.
Critical analysis
This is a sad story about a young man trying to live a good life but the hardships of the barrio keep pulling him down. Eddie imagines that there must be a giant onion buried underneath the city and the vapors it releases during the relentless summer heat causes the residents of Fresno to cry about the sadness in their lives. The onion metaphor is prevalent throughout the story. Onions and onion like bulbs appear in Eddie’s life just before bad things happen to him.
Soto writing style is filled with metaphors and similes to describe a Mexican American barrio with authenticity and accuracy. He describes the house and neighborhood where Eddie lives “where fences sagged and the paint blistered on houses.” and “Laundry wept from the lines, the faded flags of poor, ignorant, unemployable people.” The characters of the young men and boys are cholos(male gang members) who dress in Dickies cut off at the knees and white t-shirts with a gold chain and crucifix around their necks. Eddie and his friends call each other "homes and homies". Eddie’s only mentor has “a swirl of tattoos running up both arms.” Eddie's aunt leaves him tortillas wrapped in a dish towel as a bribe to get him to avenge his cousins murder.
Spanish terms are used throughout the story, in the dialogue of the characters and thoughts of the narrator. The characters code-switch, mixing Spanish and English while speaking. For example "He turned out puro malo." Family members are referred in Spanish such as mi'jo, tía, nina and primo. Also, some of the words used are terms commonly associated with someone who has lived in the barrio such as carnal, vatos locos, cholos and ruca. A Spanish glossary is provided at the end of the book with the words and phrases used in the story.
Eddie's story is not happpy one nor one filled with much hope. He is not happy about joining the military, he sees it as his only way out of a hopeless situation. Some people may think this story stereotypes Mexican Americans as gangsters, but it is an authentic experience and way of life in some communties for Mexican Americans. Soto gives a voice to a segment of the Mexican American community that really didn't have one before. It is a harsh reality and a story worth telling.
Honors
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
An ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
Review excerpts
School Library Journal v. 44 no. 1 (January 1998) p. 114
"Soto's writing is apt; he provides readers with strong images through the eyes and voice of Eddie. The young man frequently describes his surroundings, 'I returned to my apartment, which was in a part of Fresno where fences sagged and the paint blistered on houses. . . . Laundry wept from the lines, the faded flags of poor, ignorant, unemployable people.' Additionally, the author stirs more senses with his descriptions of smells and sounds. The only drawback to the story is that it is somewhat repetitious. Characters are introduced, then reenter the story with repeated delineation. Still, Soto's descriptions are poetic, and he creates deep feelings of heat and despair. A powerful and thought-provoking read." Hopf, Mary M., reviewer
Booklist v. 94 (November 15 1997) p. 554
"Soto's clear, finely honed poet's voice shines in this tale of barrio life in Fresno, California. . . . The broad and easy humor of Crazy Weekend (1994) is lacking here, but Eddie's wry observations in the face of his many predicaments provide welcome relief. Although the coach at the neighborhood playground offers Eddie material assistance and moral support, there is no upbeat ending. The 'buried onions,' which Eddie imagines as the underground source for the world's tears, pervade the tone and plot, but the unvarnished depiction of depressed and depressing barrio life is as important as the positive images of Latinos Soto has created in his other works." Carton, Debbie, reviewer
Connections
Other books by Gary Soto
Baseball in April and Other Stories
Nerdlandia
The Afterlife
Taking Sides
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