Mora, Pat. Illustrated by Raul Colon. 2005. Doña Flor: a tall tale about a giant woman with a great big heart. New York: Alfred A. Knopf

Flor grew exceptionally large because her mother “sang to her in a voice sweet as river music” when she was a baby. Although some children laughed at her because she was different, most people in the village came to love her and began calling her Doña Flor to show their respect. Even the animals would listen to her when she spoke. From making her mountain-sized home open to everyone in town to making raft-sized tortillas to share, Doña Flor watched over those she loved. When her neighbors heard a loud “Rrrr-oarrr!” and were afraid, she began hunting for the puma that was frightening them. The larger-than-life depiction of the story’s heroine exemplifies her ingenuity and will bring readers back again and again to hear the legend of Doña Flor. The Spanish words scattered throughout the text along with Colon’s earth-toned illustrations mesh beautifully with the southwestern tone of the story and surround readers with movement and texture on each page. The watercolor washes, etchings and litho pencils are signature Colon and draw readers into Doña Flor’s world as she and her animal friends save their town from the “big monster gato” and firmly place this tale in the hearts of readers.