Tomás and the Library Lady

Mora, Pat. 1997. TOMAS AND THE LIBRARY LADY. Illustrated by Raul Colón. New York: Random House. ISBN 3-1551-06941-7884.

PLOT

Tomás and his family travel from Texas to Iowa to work in the fields. In place of a television set, the children listen to Papá Grande and his stories. It this Grandfather that encourages Tomás to find more stories at the local library. The librarian points Tomás, not only to piles of books, but also towards the love of reading.

ANALYSIS

A beautiful tale that validates the contribution of oral stories, focuses on the love a family shares by taking care of their aged members, sheds light on what life for a migrant family might be like, and portrays the American dream of working hard, receiving an education and becoming a productive citizen.

Mora educates us about migrant life as she relates, “The family picked fruit and vegetables for Texas farmers in the winder and for Iowa farmers in the summer.”
She tells of the unpleasant living conditions in which the family lived, “Tomás curled up on the cot in the small house that his family shared with other workers.”
Mora also does not sugar coat the reality of growing up poor. She tells of the days when the family visits the town dump to look for pieces of iron to sell. Each seeks for what they esteem: Tomás' younger brother looks for toys and Tomás looks for books.

An important theme in the story is love and respect for each other. While the storyteller of the family is Papá Grande, Tomás soon memorizes all of his tales. This is when Papá Grande tells him he can find more stories at the library. On Tomás’ trip back from the library, Papá Grande sees his books and asks Tomás to read to him in English. Soon the entire family comes near to hear Tomás tell the story. Ultimately, Tomás becomes the new storyteller as he reads to the family. The person that unlocks the magic of imagining what you read in books is the library lady. While we never learn her name, she invites Tomás in and encourages him to first drink water and then drink books at each visit. Tomás imagination soars! He hears cries of birds, roars of tigers, and feels the warmth of a dinosaur’s neck. What makes this story more memorable is a note at the end of the book . Mora tells us that Tomás Rivera was born in Crystal City and was a migrant worker who valued education. We read of his successes in life and learn of the library that bears his name. We understand this is the same Tomás in our story.
Pat Mora uses a variety of interlingual strategies . In some instances, she uses appositives, "He helped his grandfather, Papá Grande, climb down." In other instances, she allows the characters to begin in Spanish but moves into English. For example, Mora allows the reader to understand that Papá Grande tells his stories in Spanish. This is important, since it adds authenticity to the story. He begins, “En un tiempo pasado,” Mora then translates this beginning and continues his story in English.
Another example of the accurate use of the Spanish language is Mora’s use of accents. Adding to authenticity, is the manner in that Mora chooses to consistently refer to Tomás mother as Mamá throughout the book - When Tomás is speaking to her and when Mamá is being used as part of the narration. Mora does the same for Papá Grande.

Mora is also an excellent storyteller, vividly painting pictures with words. To explain just how hot, sweaty and thirsty Tomás feels during their long trip to Iowa, he states, “Mama, if I had a glass of cold water, I would drink it in large gulps. I would suck the ice. I would pour the last drops of water on my face.” One fully understands and practically feels the intense heat Tomás is feeling.
While Mora weaves a beautiful tale with words, Colón weaves a beautiful tale with illustrations. He uses warm hues to depict the characters. He captures the kindness of the librarian and the love shown on Papá Grande's face towards his grandson. We see the images Tomás invisions in his mind. We also see Tomás face of sheer delight as he is enamored with reading.

This eloquently told story would make a wonderful addition to a school’s or home’s library. I read this story in a basal book, but admit that until I understood that this was a reflection of Tomás Riveras’ life, did it actually move me. I admired the family’s buoyancy and rejoiced at Tomás Riveras’ success. This happens to be one of the books that my students will gladly read over and over and over again.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

"From the immigrant slums of New York to the fields of California, it’s an elemental American experience: the uprooted child who finds a home in the library. Mora’s story is based on a true incident in the life of the famous writer Tomás Rivera, the son of migrant workers who became an education leader and university president." - From Booklist

"This inspiring story is based on the true life of Tomas Rivera, a migrant farm worker who became a writer, professor, and university administrator. He was chancellor of the University of California at Riverside before his death in 1984. Raul Colón uses beautifully muted colors to illustrate Tomas' wonderful imagination. A heartwarming story for children from all backgrounds." -From Children’s Literature

CONNECTIONS

A wonderful activity that would incorporate family members would be a traveling journal. Students would take their traveling journal to conduct interviews of relatives. The goal would be to return with a story about the family told by a relative.

For the younger children, a tape recorder could be used to record the story.

Websites to visit:

http://www.patmora.com/

http://www.patmora.com/book_pages/tomas.htm

Bud, Not Buddy

Curtis, Christopher Paul. 1999. Bud, Not Buddy. New York: Delacorte. ISBN 978-0385323062.

Plot Summary
In this Newberry and Corretta Scott King award winning tale we meet Bud - not Buddy. The tale is set in Depression Era Michigan and told by ten year old Bud Caldwell. An orphan from the age of six, Bud has lived in his share of foster homes. In the final foster home, he flees after he realizes staying could be a detriment. His hope lies in the one flier carried in his briefcase that may hold the key to finding his father.

Analysis
With the first sentence of the book: Here we go again, I was captivated! I immediately asked, “What happened in the past? Were the character’s past experiences horrid? Christopher Paul Curtis does a superb job of painting a vivid picture of the Depression, and all the while presenting a captivating storyline with enduring, yet hilarious characters.
Curtis educates the reader as he describes numerous icons of the Depression: soup lines, redcaps, labor organizers, unions, and Hoovervilles. Curtis describes the breakfast lines at a mission in the following way:

The only sound you could hear was when someone scraped a spoon across the bottom
of their bowl.

Another gripping description is of a Hooverville. One of the residents of Hooverville states,

“All these people..are just like you, they are tired, hungry and a little
bit nervous about tomorrow.”

To provide a balance of the harsh reality of the Depression, Curtis presents us with humorous and enduring characters that I saw as Bud's guardians, such as the librarian or Mr. Lefty that picked Bud off the side of the road . Bud possesses a fantastic imagination and incredible buoyancy in spite of the difficult hand life has given him. He is the creator of Bud Caldwell’s Rules and Things to Have a Funner Life and Make a Better Liar Out of Yourself. My favorite is Rule # 83:

If adults tell you not worry, and you weren’t worried before, you better hurry
up and start ‘cause you’re already running late.

One of the first phrases my students found amusing was, “I was on the lam.” They stated that was how they knew this book was from the past. The book made a fantastic read aloud! In spite of presenting the hard facts about the Depression, the book leaves us with hope and reminds us that perseverance will ultimately be rewarded. In a Afterward presented by Curtis we learn of the inspiration for this book and are encouraged to:

Go talk to Grandma and Grandpa…By keeping their stories alive, you make them and
yourself, immortal.

This is a beautiful book and one I intend to share with my children and my children’s children.

Reviews
"While the harshness of Bud's circumstances are authentically depicted, Curtis imbues them with an aura of hope, and he makes readers laugh even when he sets up the most daunting scenarios," - From Publishers Weekly

"Curtis says in an afterword that some of the characters are based on real people, including his own grandfathers, so it's not surprising that the rich blend of tall tale, slapstick, sorrow, and sweetness has the wry, teasing warmth of family folklore. "- From Booklist

Connections
Dear Mrs. Roosevelt: Letters from the Children of the Great Depression by Robert Cohen
Other books by Christopher Paul Curtis:
The Watson go to Birmingham-1963
Bud, not Buddy was also released in Spanish.


Bud had a great collection going: Bud Caldwell's Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself. Students could be encouraged to add their own rules to Bud's list or use his rules as journal response starters.

Whoever You Are

Fox, Mem. WHOEVER YOU ARE. 1997. Illustrated by Leslie Staub. Harcourt Books: New York. ISBN 9-780152-164065


PLOT SUMMARY
With short, repetitive sentences and rich, colorful illustrations Mem Fox and the illustrator, Leslie Staub, present the many characteristics of children from around the world. While the characteristics seem to point out differences, Mem Fox directs the readers to the many similarities the children of the world share.


ANALYSIS
This picture book is a celebration for the senses! The detail provided in the colorful illustrations with accuracy in the smallest details is superb: the various hues in the skin color of the children, the school and home settings, the clothing worn by them, their modes of transportation, even the different types of hair styles. In spite of this celebration, a child that was not of color is also represented and thus I dare to say that a child that was not of color, listening to this book would also see a reflection of him/herself.
While the book quickly sets the stage for exterior comparison to come,

"Little one, whoever you are, wherever you are, there are little ones just like
you all over the world. Their skin may be different from your, and their homes may be different from yours."

Fox then turns to our similarities - that happen to be internal,

Smiles are the same, and hearts are just the same- wherever they are, wherever you are,
wherever we are, all over the world.

This concept is not one that a young child will capture, yet that is what makes this a fantastic choice for young adults!
Each illustration is within a beautiful golden and jewel covered frame. The rhythmic and melodic feel to the reading and the color rich-illustrations will keep young children tuned in. My three year old has quickly learned to state the repetitive stanza. This book is a definite must for all libraries, school and home.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
"The simple text and bright illustrations helps readers to accept differences between people, to recognize similarities, and to rejoice in both." -From Children's Literature
"The faces of the little ones in Staub's paintings are as appealing as dolls', and a beatific paternal figure in a sky-blue suit printed with clouds floats through the pages with a bevy of children in his arms. An essential book that acknowledges in the simplest of terms our common humanity." - From Kirkus Reviews



CONNECTIONS
This book lends itself to compare and contrast. Many students may have never left their neighborhoods, so this books helps them travel the world. Children as young as Pre-K could articulate/draw the different homes children live in, discuss the differences they notice in their schools, and in their lives. Children could then relate what we share in common with the children presented in the book.
Mem Fox's website provides insight to the genesis of several of her books, provides tips for teachers, parents and would-be writers. http://www.memfox.com/welcome.html

Too Many Tamales

Soto, Gary. 1993. TOO MANY TAMALES. Illustrated by Ed Martinez. California: Hampton-Brown Books. ISBN 1-56334-704-0.

PLOT SUMMARY
While making tamales with her mother, Maria secretly places her mother's diamond ring on her thumb and admires its beauty. It's not until much later that she remembers that she never return the ring to it's spot, thus realizing it must have gone into the tamale dough! With the help of her cousins, they eat their way through the tamales to find her mother's ring.

ANALYSIS
It is encouraging to see Mexican Americans in a positive light. In Too Many Tamales, the illustrator, Ed Martinez, places the Mexican American families in a warm home that is beautifully decorated with numerous wreaths, a Christmas tree with abundant gifts underneath it, and cousins and uncles dressed in season. The olive skinned little girls wear their dark, long hair with beautiful over sized bows. Adding to the cultural authenticity of the setting, Soto tells us that when her uncles, aunts and cousins arrive at her home, “Maria kissed everyone hello.” This is a ritual that is embedded into Mexican American and Hispanic families.

Not counting the word tamale, two Spanish words are used in the book: masa and niña. In context and with the help of the illustrations, we understand its meaning, “Maria returned to kneading the masa, her hands pumping up and down. On her thumb the ring disappeared, then reappeared in the sticky glob of dough.” Soto could simply have used the word dough, but using the word masa – makes the story much more authentic. Dough might be equated with pastries, but masa produces nothing pastry-like. In this instance it refers to a slightly salty enclosure for a meaty inside.

There is not an overload of cultural images presented in the illustrations, but rather Martinez provides illustrations that capture snapshots of items possibly found in Mexican American homes. Students of Mexican or Hispanic cultures will relate to the Manteca and Masa packages. These are staples in the making of authentic tamales. These are found in my mother’s home to this day! Martinez also does a fantastic job of showing emotion in the faces of the children. Their eyes are opened wide and mouths are open in disbelief once the children understand the ring might be inside the tamales.

The illustrations nicely portray the entertaining story Soto tells us. The story begins with a bonding moment between Maria and her mother and quickly escalates as Maria realizes she probably left her mother’s ring in the tamale masa. Upon a closer look, I realized that Maria never actually explains to her cousins her theory of the disappearing ring. The readers read Maria’s thoughts, “The ring is inside one of the tamales, she thought to herself.” Her cousins agree to tell Maria if they bite into something hard. Twenty four tamales later, nothing appears! It’s hilarious to see three children eating away at the tamales, while Maria stands over them and instead of being grateful, scolds them for being tired of the taste.
“The first one was good, the second one pretty good, but by the third tamale, they were tired of the taste.”
So it is true that you could have too much of a good thing! A math teacher would be quick to produce math problems out of the situation. How many dozens were on the plate? If there are four children and they each ate the same number of tamales, how many tamales did each child eat?
The story ends as Maria tearfully and remorsefully confesses to her mother. Nevertheless, Maria is not scolded, but rather must help make a second batch of tamales. Her aunt playfully states that everyone knows that the second batch is always better. All agree except the children that “let off a groan the size of twenty-four tamales.”

Since Soto uses only a couple of Spanish words, and Martinez does a fantastic job of colorfully and accurately portraying Mexican American culture, this is an excellent book that can be used to introduce this culture to others. There is no deep message conveyed, no hidden moral in the story, just an enjoyable tale that is sure to become a holiday favorite.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
"This story will have readers hungering for tamales. Everyone can identify with Maria's panic and the too-full tummies, but this also inspires children to share the way their own family celebrates holidays. The joyful paintings portray a loving Hispanic family." –From Children’s Literature

"Soto's simple text is charmingly direct; he skips explanations, letting characters reveal themselves by what they do. Martinez's realistic, nicely composed paintings are glowing with light and life, while he reinforces the story with particularly expressive faces and gestures. This one should become a staple on the holiday menu." – From Kirkus Reviews

CONNECTIONS
Other picture book titles by Gary Soto:
Chato's Kitchen
Snapshots from the Wedding
The Old Man and His Door
Chato and the Party Animals

Website:
http://www.garysoto.com/

Hush! A Thai Lullaby

Ho, Minfong. 1996. HUSH! A THAI LULLABY. Illustrated by Holly Meade. New York: Orchard Books. 3-1551-03127-2771.

Plot Summary
In this Caldecott Winner, we learn a lullaby from Thailand. As a mother puts her child to sleep, she asks several animals to hush since her baby is sleeping. The irony in the story is that the baby is seen in the background not doing much sleeping at all.

Analysis
What is a mother to do if animals are strutting about making noises while her little one is drifting off to sleep?

“Wee-Wee,” A small mosquito
“Jeed-Jeed,” A fat gray mouse…
With illustrations that incorporate deep earth tones of orange and browns and with simple text-- but with a melodious repetitive refrain, the mother hushes the animals that roam about in order to allow her baby to sleep peacefully.

This melodic and repetitive refrain invites the listeners to join in:

Lizard, Lizard,
Don’t you cry,
My baby’s sleeping right nearby.

There is a secondary story in the background since the supposedly sleeping child is depicted in most illustrations as a busybody.

In the description of each animal the author inserts adjectives,
a long-tailed lizard,
a lean black cat,
a fat gray mouse…

These are simple enough for a preschooler to begin understanding the concept of describing words. These also would be of great benefit to English Language Learners in understanding adjectives and increasing their vocabulary. Likewise, the lullaby is also rich in the use of present progressive tenses -- wonderfully helping second language learners and toddlers to increase their vocabulary.

Who’s that weeping…
Who’s that peeping
Who’s that creeping…
The illustrator, Holly Meade, depicts the mother and child in a tan skin hue. And we take notice of the hut with the straw roof and the lack of electricity -- all of this accurately portraying Thailand's countryside. In her use of collage, she pays careful attention to detail. We can see the ridges in the elephant's legs, for example.
There may be some initial concern when we notice the character’s eyes in some illustrations are depicted as slits, without pupils -- but I feel this was done merely to show that their eyes were closed.

While there is no author’s note to provide background information regarding the lullaby, the author does dedicate the book to her father, stating that his wonderful stories would leave her more wide-eyed than sleepy as she was growing up. The author does; however, provide the subtitle of “A Thai Lullaby," thus informing the reader of the specific Asian group from which this lullaby originates.

Our family quickly took to this book. This has become a favorite bed time story. Like the author, this story often left my daughter more wide-eyed than sleepy. My three year old daughter made it a point to look for the child on each page and determine what exactly he was up to. Without a doubt this would make a fantastic read aloud. This book would also make a beautiful addition to a home or classroom collection.

Review Excerpts
"The setting, apparently a remote Thai village, is gently evoked in cut paper and ink pictures that are bold enough to be used with groups. The unusual compositions are visually arresting, thanks, in part, to bright orange outlines, and the comforting earth tones suit the quiet nature of the story" --from Booklist

"Exceptionally beautiful cut-paper-and-ink illustrations in earth tones use the varied textures of the paper to wonderful effect, depicting traditional Thai textiles, basketry, and building styles. All of young children's favorite elements are here: a reassuringly predictable, rhyming text, animals and their sounds, a mischievous subplot in the pictures, and an ever-so-slightly naughty child who fools everyone in the end. A sure winner."--From Kirkus Reviews

Connections
Other titles by the author include:

Peek!: A Thai Hide and Seek
Maples in the Mist: Children's Poems from the Tang Dynasty
Brother Rabbit: A Cambodian Tale
Website:
http://members.authorsguild.net/minfong/