Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Culture 3: Hispanic/Latino(a) Lit

Bibliography
CONFETTI
Mora, Pat. 1996. CONFETTI. Ill. by Sanchez, Enrique. New York: Lee & Low Books, Inc.. ISBN 1880000253.

Plot Summary

Children compare new things with what they have seen or heard in "their world." Confetti is a collection of poems written in narrative free verse about nature and it's impression on a young girl. Ms. Mora is a native of El Paso and is familiar with the natural landscape and what might interest children. Mr. Sanchez did a great job with the desert colors. His illustrations introduce you to a young Mexican-American girl. Several poems express how things remind her of confetti, "he sprinkles cookies with sweet confetti, Egg-bursts of bright confetti will shower us like rain, Come, words, come in your every color...free as confetti." Ms. Mora included Spanish words in each poem and provided a glossary for translating. A good poetry book for grades first through third.

Critical Analysis

The book cover captured my attention right away. A young girl peeking through some type of bush and watching a bird and squirrel drink "leaf soup." Sanchez's use of a mixture of warm desert colors with cool blues is breath taking. If you are familiar with Aztec Art then you could relate to some of the symbols in the picture. Mexico has a lot of Mayan artifacts so much of their art includes their symbols. The symbols, engraved or carved images, could be seen as cultural markers.

Ms Mora is a native of El Paso, Texas and now lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is familiar with the desert. Since the book is dedicated to her daughter, Libby, I believe she inspired many of the poems which allowed Ms. Mora to see it through the eyes of a child. Although she used Spanish words in the poems, a few poems could be read without the Spanish words; "Castanet Clicks, One, two baskets blue; three, four one bell more." At this age children listen for the rhyming so Uno, dos and Tres, cautro are added words.

In her poem "Mexican Magician " , she used food terms as symbolic and evocative elements rather than cliches. Another poem well blended with Spanish words was "Dancing Paper." Ms Mora didn't include a translation which would have broken the connection with the cultural rhythm of the poem. The reader will have to look up unfamiliar words, not pinata, but cascarones or marimba.

My favorite poem just had two Spanish words but it speaks to all children. It was "Abuelita's Lap." You can read this poem and know that every child understands you are talking about their grandmother. Confetti would be a good cultural picture book to have in your collection.

Review Excerpts

School Library Journal--Narrative poems in free verse capture the rhythms and uniqueness of the Southwest and its culture as seen through the eyes of a Mexican-American girl. Many Spanish words are interwoven into the verses and translated in a glossary at the book's end. The beauty of the natural world is captured in Sanchez's acrylic illustrations. Done in hot colors reflecting the sun, their swirling, dreamlike patterns suggest the openness and vastness of the land and the freedom of its inhabitants. A welcome addition.

Booklist--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, with castanets, a giant saguaro cactus, Tarahumara drums, pinatas, "egg-bursts of bright confetti," and more, are full of color and provide youngsters with strong links to the subjects and activities in the poems.

Connections

Confetti is a wonderful book to use for choral reading. Poems can be used as an introduction to a nature walk or environmental awareness. Poems are good to include after storytimes about families.

Similar Picture Books

A BIRTHDAY BASKET FOR TIA by Pat Mora
PABLO's TREE by Pat Mora
THE DESERT IS MY MOTHER/EL DESIERTO ES MI MADRE by Pat Mora

Bibliography
JUST A MINUTE
Morales, Yuyi. 2003. JUST A MINUTE: A TRICKSTER TALE AND COUNTING BOOK. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. ISBN 0811837580.

Plot Summary

Grandma Beetle woke early as Senor Calavera arrived to take her away. Grandma Beetle asked him to wait, "Just One Minute," while she prepared items for her own birthday party. Although it was frustrating for Senior Calavera, he waited and counted in Spanish as Grandma Beetle finished each task. Finally Senior Calavera had had enough but before he could take Granda Beetle away, her nine grandchildren arrived for the party. Senior Calavera was asked to join the party. He had so much fun that he didn't take Grandma Beetle. He disappeared and left her a note promising to return to enjoy her next birthday party. Her grandchildren hugged her with joy. It's a wonderful counting book to learn the numbers in Spanish from one to ten, uno to diez.

Critical Analysis

Yuyi Morales skillfully combined two of the three semantic fields (food, family, physical environment) frequently used in Latino Picture books. Her use of food and family make a delightful story about a grandmother tricking Mr. Death, Senor Calavera who is a cultural marker for Mexican folk art, "The Day of the Dead."

Senor Calavera said his numbers in Spanish and then English while Grandma used only English. The illustrations of Grandma Beetle are cultural but her speech is English. It makes the story a connection for Mexican American and it's okay because you still engage in the story. I'm a grandmother and I love cooking big meals for my family.

A truly cultural marker for Mexico is when she makes the three pounds of corn into tortillas. The illustrations of the kennels of corn and her grinding the corn were authentic cultural markers. They are traditional ways of making corn tortillas. A common Spanish word most children know is pinata and you could interpret it to be a stereotypical word. Not in this story, Grandma Beetle doesn't try to explain what's a pinata or change its meaning. Ms Morales used it as a traditional way of celebrating. Her grandchildren were colorfully illustrated in party clothes and some traditional hair styles. Grandma Beetle's hair with the shinny highlights draws your attention page after page. I highly recommend this book for young children.

Illustrations of fruits, breads, pinatas and hairstyles are all cultural markers in a wonderfully presented picture book that will surly be popular for a long time. Grandma Beetle is alive, there is the "Difference." Even Senor Calavera, a skinny skeleton, portrays emotions and leaves Grandma Beetle to spend more time with her family. I highly recommend this book for multicultural collections.

Review Excerpts

2004 Pura Belpre Award

2004 Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award

Booklist--What's an old woman to do when a skeleton pays her a birthday visit and beckons her to "come along"? Grandma Beetle, the heroine of this joyful book by the illustrator of Harvesting Hope [BKL Je 1 & 15 03], stalls for time. "Just a minute," she says; there's something she needs to do. One chore leads to another, but the skeleton can't mask his enthusiasm as Grandma cooks, fills pinatas, and performs other tasks, each one linked to a number from 1 to 10, uno to diez. Eventually nueve grandchildren arrive for Grandma's birthday party, and guess who else is invited? Even if children don't grasp the implications of the skeleton's visit, they'll enjoy seeing him join the fun, and when he extends Grandma's lease on life, the relieved, loving embrace she gives her grandchildren will satisfy young ones at a gut level. Like the text, the rich, lively artwork draws strongly upon Mexican culture, with hints of Diego Rivera in Grandma's robust form, and the skeleton resembling the whimsical figurines often seen in Day of the Dead folk art.

Kirkus--Winking and nodding as she goes, a Latino grandmother will charm readers as she charms Death Himself in this original counting-cum-trickster tale. When skeletal Senor Calavera appears at the door, Grandma Beetle bids him wait while she sweeps ONE house ('UNO'), makes TWO pots of tea ('DOS'), grinds THREE pounds of corn for tortillas ('TRES'), and so on, culminating in a festive birthday party at which Senor Calavera finds himself guest number TEN ('DIEZ').

Connections

Teachers of ESL could use "Just A Minute" to teach Spanish numbers up to ten for Pre-K to second grade. It's a great story to use for "Grandparent's Day." You can use dialogic reading.

Similar Books


DONA FLOR: A TALL TALE ABOUT A GIANT WOMAN WITH A GREAT BIG HEART by Pat Mora

MY NAME IS CELIA by Monica Brown

ANA CULTIVA MANZANAS/APPLE FARMER ANNIE: A BILINGUAL EDITIoN IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH by Monica Wellington translated by Eida de Risco

Bibliography

THE AFTERLIFE

Soto, Gary. 2003. THE AFTERLIFE. Orlando: Harcourt Books, Inc. ISBN 0152047743.

Plot Summary

Jesus, known as Chuy, had plans for the evening but dying wasn't one of them. He's dressed nicely, borrowed his Uncle's car and planned to get with Rachel at the dance club. One last trip to the men's room to fix his hair and a simple compliment about a guy's yellow shoes results in his death.

Chuy's spirit floats around Fresno,CA saying good-byes and somehow achieves things he couldn't when he was alive. Through his journey he realizes how much his family and friends loved him. Mr. Soto gave Chuy many of his human emotions and ends the story with him and Crystal, a ghost girl who had committed suicide.headed for the "afterlife." A glossary is provided at the book-end.

Critical Analysis

Mr. Soto starts his story off fast with the death of main character, Chuy. The rest of the story is about Chuy visiting his family and friends to say good-bye. There's humor, Chuy blows the leaves that his friend Angle had raked. "I blew my ghostly breath on the leaves, and the leaves danced a polka, rising ankle high. Angle, somewhat confused, raked them up again. I blew once more.." I thought it was funny when parts of his body started to disappear. Robert's ghost told a funny story about painting a girl's house then she kicked him out." He's late for his rosary, "I got there, "Chicano time," late." Oh and "I'm going to be buried in a coffin eaten by termites?" His humor what would be an awful sad story to one full of lighthearted illustrations of how unfair life can seem.

Cultural markers include his uncle's car. "After all, I had borrowed my uncle Richard's Honda, which was tricked-out and lowered like a cat, with ten-inch speakers in the panels and clear lights that cut a path on dark streets." The clever use of mainly the Spanish words and names used helped authenticate the story. Mexico is mentioned as the home of Peter's father and Chuy was named after his Father, Maria Jesus, who was born in Jalisco, Mexico. The story isn't in a Spanish speaking country but it's clear that the location in Fresno, CA was a Latino community.

Robert, now a ghost, and Chuy become friends but they are disappearing. They share their love for the beautiful ceiling in Saint John's Cathedral. Chuy bounced around like a balloon and he's scared. The concept of a ghost afraid was disjointed but it tied in with his memory of school and presented the title of the book. "I heard my middle-grade English teacher use the word "afterlife" when she old us about this poet named Dante." Chuy is comforted by the thought as he and Crystal fly southward to afterlife. Relationships was the theme and Chuy made a difference in many people's lives. It was fitting that even in his death he continued in a relation.

Mr. Soto's simple narrative used Mexican Spanish in sentences with enough context clues that the Spanish words were understood and didn't take away from the sentence. It's a book that could be in your multicultural collection to illustrate the use of "interlingual" Spanish.

School Library Journal--After a strong start, The Afterlife seems to become a series of brief images that drift off as though in a dream. Soto's simple and poetic language, leavened with Mexican Spanish with such care to context that the appended glossary is scarcely needed, is clear, but Chuy's ultimate destiny isn't.

Connections

It would be useful for comprehension skill builder for context clues and poetry.

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