BIBLIOGRAPHY

Say, Allen. 1991. Tree of cranes. New York: Hyperion Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 039552024X

PLOT SUMMARY

The main character in the story begins his narration by remembering the last day he visited the pond that was close to his home. Although his mother had warned him of the dangers many times, he still went. The day was cold and gray, “too cold for the fish to move around”. Instead of watching fish, he caught a chill. When he got home, he was surprised that his mother was not there to greet him because she had always greeted him before. He found her in the living room folding origami paper into cranes. After a hot lunch of rice gruel, the boy finds his mother in the garden digging up the tree that was planted to celebrate the boy’s birth. The confused boy promises to sit quietly if his mother will explain why she has been acting strange on this day—“seven days before the New Year’s Day”. His mother explains that in California where she grew up, this was a very special day. Everywhere you looked you would see trees decorated with bright lights and globes of gold and silver. The boy listens quietly as his mother explains Christmas and its traditions and falls asleep dreaming of a samurai kite. The paintings by Say afford serenity and peace to this touching tale of a mother sharing her childhood memories of a special season with her son.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

Tree of Cranes is a tribute to the American holiday of Christmas, told by a master storyteller who understands both the American customs of Christmas and the Japanese customs of respecting your elders. With this story, Say effectively spins a bridge that spans the two cultures, giving readers a glimpse of a world alive with customs and traditions. The text is written with a peaceful tone, which provides an excellent backdrop for the paintings that do more to illustrate the Japanese way of life than does the text.

Only three characters are shown in the book, three members of the same family. The skin tones are similar as is the color of each character’s hair. The hairstyle of the mother in the story is conservative, yet chic enough to be seen in Japan or California today. The father and the young boy both have dark hair worn in a conservative style that is both respectful and timeless.

The surroundings of both home and nature are illustrated in neutral colors, emphasized here and there by the bright red of the boy’s scarf of the deep green of the pine tree that was planted on the day he was born. The neutral colors that dominate the illustrations beautifully illustrate the sense of peace and tranquility that rules the Japanese culture.

From the wooden tub where the boy is sent to warm up after his outdoor adventure to the sparse furnishings of the home and the slippers worn by both mother and father, Say brings a traditionally American holiday to the East with a “laudable sensitivity to Eastern and Western cultures—and to both the differences and similarities between them” (Publishers Weekly, 1991).

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Kirkus Reviews. When the young Japanese narrator comes home with a cold after playing in a forbidden pond, his mother “barely looks at him” and puts him into a hot bath and then to bed without so much as a story. She’s busy folding silver paper cranes; later, she brings in the little pine planted when the boy was born and decorates it with candles and the cranes, explaining for the first time how she celebrated Christmas in California, where she grew up.

Publishers Weekly. Heedless of Mama’s warnings, a Japanese boy cannot resist playing at an ice-cold pond “filled with carp of bright colors.” When he comes home, he is immediately treated for a cold, with a hot bath and rice gruel. His mother’s attitude chills him more than the weather, though; he cannot understand why she seems to be ignoring him. Hearing a noise in the garden, the boy spies Mama digging up the pine tree that was planted when he was born. She brings it inside and decorates it with paper cranes and candles. It is a Christmas tree, the first for the boy, and the first in many years for his mother, who tells her son she comes from “a warm place called Ca-li-for-ni-a.”

CONNECTIONS

This is a wonderful story to introduce customs and holidays from Japan and America. It could also be used as a read aloud to interest students in biculturalism.  

Look for these other stories by Allen Say:

Say, Allen. Kamishibai man. ISBN 978-0618479542

Say, Allen. The ink-keeper’s apprentice. ISBN 978-0395705629

Say, Allen. Tea with milk. ISBN 978-0395978603

Say, Allen. Under the cherry blossom tree: an old Japanese tale. ISBN 978-0395845462

Say, Allen. Emma’s rug. ISBN 978-0395742945

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cohen, Caron Lee. 1988. The mud pony: a traditional Skidi Pawnee tale. Ill. by Shonto Begay. New York: Scholastic Inc. ISBN 0590415255

PLOT SUMMARY

There was once a poor boy in an Indian tribe who wanted his own pony more than anything. Every day he would visit the river and watch the other boys water their ponies, and one day, he used the mud at the river to fashion a pony with a white face. Every day, he would go to the river and take care of his mud pony as if it was real. One day while he was caring for his pony, scouts rode into his group’s camp and told them that buffalo had been sighted. The entire camp packed up and readied themselves to follow the herd of buffalo. Although the boy’s family looked for him, they did not find him and left him alone. When the boy returned to his camp, he realized that he was alone. He found bits of old food, an old blanket and cried himself to sleep. While asleep, he dreamed that his mud pony spoke to him saying, “My son, you are not alone. Mother Earth has given me to you. I am part of her.” When the boy awoke, he went to the river and found that his mud pony was alive. Again, she spoke to him in his mind telling him that he must trust both her and Mother Earth and that someday he would become a chief among his people. The boy followed where the pony led, and was eventually reunited with his family and the rest of his group. The boy, along with his pony help his people defeat their enemies and lead them in the hunt for buffalo, paving the way for him to become a chief among his people. The watercolor illustrations by Begay, son of a Navajo medicine man, are done in earth tones and offer few details, reminding readers of authentic artwork found on Native American housing. The acknowledgments provided in the front of the book gives credit to the many sources that were used as research before writing, and gives a general overview of the meaning of many of the Pawnee stories.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

The Mud Pony is told in a quiet, reverent style that honors both the legend and the origins of this ancient boy-hero story. Although original language and dialect is not present throughout the story, the boy is greeted by the chief of his tribe with the words “Nawa, tiki!” In addition to this native dialect, the rhythm and pacing of the story are respectful and somber, as one might expect in a traditional legendary tale. Although specific religious practices of the boy are not mentioned, the references to Mother Earth throughout the story illustrate the great respect that the Pawnee Indians felt toward the Earth and the gifts that were given by her.

The earth-toned, watercolor illustrations by Begay represent traditional views of the characters, and primarily portray the boy and his pony. Other characters are shown with few distinguishable characterizing features. The body types shown in the group pictures vary as do the clothing styles that are shown. Readers will see characters of varying ages wearing loin cloths, dresses and wraps. Not all males wear feathers in their hair, although the illustration of the chief does picture him with fringed clothing, a Mohawk and feathers. The other characters in the story have hairstyles that readers might expect, yet not all characters wear the same style.

The mode of transportation shown is either walking or riding bareback, which fits with what is known about the Pawnee Indians. Most research tells us that these Native Americans lived in dome-shaped earth lodges, yet the illustrations throughout The Mud Pony show the boy and his people living in teepees, possibly due to the fact that they frequently moved to follow herds of buffalo and other prey.

Together, the illustrations and the text combine to retell a story that is bursting with tradition and legend. Readers will enjoy this coming of age story set in the peaceful and reverent past of the Skidi Pawnee tribe.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Publisher’s Weekly. From the Skidi branch of the Pawnee Indians of the Plains comes this tale of a boy who achieves greatness in his tribe with the guidance of a pony he made out of mud. Too poor to own a pony like the other boys, he fashions a small mud pony and goes to see it every day. It is during one of these visits that the rest of the tribe moves west in search of buffalo, and the boy is left behind. Not only does the mud pony become a living, breathing horse, but she takes him to his tribe; later, she helps him become the chief of his tribe by giving him great power in battles.

School Library Journal. A poor Indian boy longs for a pony of his own. He sculpts a pony out of mud and takes care of it as if it were real. When his tribe accidently leaves him behind, the mud pony becomes real and leads the boy to their new camp. The boy and his magical pony help the tribe defeat their enemies, and after many years the boy becomes a powerful chief. The pony appears to the grown boy in a dream and tells him that it’s time for the animal to return to Mother Earth.

CONNECTIONS

The Mud Pony can be used along with a legendary tale from another tribe (Turquoise Boy by Terri Cohlene—from the Navajo tribe) to compare two different Native American tribes.

Look for these other legendary tales about Native Americans:

Abenakew, Freda. How the birch tree got its stripes: a Cree story for children. ISBN 9780920079386

Begay, Shonto. Ma’ii and Cousin Horned Toad: a traditional Navajo story. ISBN 9780590453912

Steptoe, John. The story of Jumpin Mouse: a Native American legend. ISBN 9780688087401

Sekaquaptwa, Eugene. Coyote and the winnowing birds: a traditional Hopi tale. ISBN 9780940666863

Tapahonso, Luci and Eleanor Schick. Navajo ABC: a Dine alphabet book. ISBN 9780689826856

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bruchac, Joseph. 2002. Seasons of the circle: a Native American year. Ill. by Robert F. Goetzl. New York: BridgeWater Books. ISBN 0816774676

PLOT SUMMARY

Joseph Bruchac shares with readers time-honored traditions of several Native American tribes, beginning in January, when “Maliseet hunters follow the tracks of the moose through crusted snow” and ending in December, when “a Lakota elder tells stories of when earth was young.” In an author’s note at the beginning of the book, Bruchac details the importance of the circle, the seasons, and the traditions that the included tribes follow each year. Also included is a pronunciation guide and more detailed explanations of the customs and their importance to the tribes. Readers will also find a map of the United States with locations of the various tribes labeled. The extraordinary paintings that illustrate the text provide a more intimate look at the customs and traditions that pervade the culture of Native Americans. Each two-page spread shows both traditional and modern peoples celebrating the seasons of the year, the phases of the moon, and the way of life that has kept them strong throughout history.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

Throughout Seasons of the Circle, Bruchac uses a lyrical, almost poetic tone to inform readers of various traditions and cultures celebrated by North American Native American tribes. Each month is detailed with a different tribe paying tribute to Mother Earth and the traditions and cultures that make them each a community. Although Native American dialect is not used in relating the traditions, the author did provide additions to the book, one of which is a meaning and pronunciation of tribal names. In this guide, Bruchac gives more information about each season as well as the tribal customs that are used to celebrate and honor the specific time of year. Another informative addition is the list of Moon Names by month for the Mohawks, Lakotas and Suquamish tribes. The names given by each tribe more effectively describe the time of year and the happenings during that time.

The illustrations by Goetzl complement the expressive text and honor each tribe and their customs with respect. The earth tones used in each two-page spread remind readers that Mother Earth plays a very important role in the lives of all Native Americans. Although readers will see similarities in facial features between the tribes, Goetzl portrays the Native Americans with varying body types and facial features. The skin tones of the characters, although typically darker, cover a variety of shades, providing added individuality for the illustrations. Additionally, the hairstyles of the characters are not identical. Although some Native American men are seen with feathers in their hair, most are shown with hoods, hats, or short hair as one would expect to see today. The women are also portrayed with different body types and hairstyles, some with no adornments, others with braids, and still others with ponytails or pigtails.

Characters of many ages are shown, from young babies being held by mothers to aged men and women sharing their years of experiences with younger tribal members. Additionally, the clothing styles and settings of the illustrations portray both traditional and modern representations of the tribes. Although the general environment of the illustrations leans toward the rural, many of the settings also show buildings and other urban sights, illustrating without words that although there is a history of celebrating seasons, the traditions do not prevent the Native Americans from contributing to society today while still staying true to their culture and heritage.

Together, the text and illustrations meld to provide readers with a respectful and informative look at several Native American tribes and their people. This book is a wonderful addition to libraries and will provide readers with a brief overview of a calendar year and the seasons that mark the circle of time.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Booklist. From Maliseet hunters following moose tracks in the snow in January to a Lakota elder’s winter tales during a cold December evening, this lyrical tribute to American tribal nations cuts across the seasons. Pictures of Lenape women gathering sap from trees in April, Apache celebrating a girl’s journey into womanhood in July, and Menominee harvesting rice as they paddle through the cool September water sweep across double-page spreads to make this book both pleasing to look at and informative.

Kirkus Reviews. The prolific chronicler of Indian culture for children tries to distill a complicated set of cultural signals into the great circle of the seasons. In doing so, this package falls victim to its own reductionism and in the end serves up little more value than as an introduction to young children of the different tribes and key moments in their years.

CONNECTIONS

Readers can compare the year of Native Americans with customs and traditions celebrated during their own calendar year. This could also be used in a unit or discussion of calendars around the world.

Look for these other Native American books by Joseph Bruchac:

Bruchac, Joseph. Code talker: a novel about the Navajo marines of World War II. ISBN 9780142405963

Bruchac, Joseph. Skeleton man. ISBN 9780064408882

Bruchac, Joseph. Sacajawea: the story of Bird Woman and the Lewis and Clark expedition. ISBN 9780439280686

Bruchac, Joseph. First strawberries: a Cherokee story. ISBN 9780140564099

Bruchac, Joseph. Between Earth & sky: legends of Native American sacred places. ISBN 9780152020620

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Smith, Cynthia Leitich. 2001. Rain is not my Indian name. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0688173977

PLOT SUMMARY

On the night before her birthday, the night that Rain finally kissed her forever best-friend, Galen, he is tragically killed in an automobile accident on his way home. In her grief, Rain refuses to attend Galen’s funeral and shuts herself and her life off from everyone around her for six months, not realizing until later that the town gossip is that she and Galen did more than kiss. Her brother Fynn, also tired of Rain’s reclusiveness, strongly encourages her to attend her Aunt Georgia’s Indian Camp for children. Although Rain inherited Native American blood from both her father’s side of the family and her mother’s, she is reluctant to expose herself as an “Indian” in her small hometown. Finally, Rain volunteers to attend the camp as a volunteer photographer, and becomes involved through her camera lens. The experience reconnects her with friends from her past and those who hope to be part of her future. When funding for the camp becomes a political debate in her small town, Rain must decide whether to commit to her heritage or return to hiding. Throughout the story, Rain’s slightly dysfunctional family supports her and her efforts to return to life as a normal teenager.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

Cassidy Rain Berghoff is a modern Native American who has suffered the loss of her mother and now the loss of her best friend, and first romantic interest. Cynthia Leitich Smith does not give a detailed description of Rain or of the other characters, but in passing informs readers that she is “average height, average weight, with bottle-cap boobs and eyes pinched at the corners”. When her mother was alive, she used to say that Rain’s “hair looked like waving wheat and [her] eyes changed color with the weather”. Although Rain does say that her brother Finn is “striking”, the only other description readers get of Fynn is when Rain calls him “Native American Fabio”.

Rain is Not My Indian Name portrays a family of Native Americans living the average American life. They have a nice house in Kansas, their father is in the Air Force, their grandfather lives with them along with Fynn’s girlfriend/fiancée, Natalie. Throughout the story, Rain struggles with her heritage, which is mixed, but still a vital part of her life. There is mention of Rain’s resentment of the way it felt to be an Indian in her small town. “At school, the subject of Native Americans pretty much comes up just around Turkey Day, like those cardboard cutouts of the Pilgrims and the pumpkins and the squash taped to the windows at McDonald’s” (p. 13). Rain’s reaction is to avoid the season and read other materials when the class is discussing the season.

Although Rain is not ashamed of her heritage, it is not her favorite topic of conversation. Aunt Georgia’s Indian Camp, as Rain feared brings her heritage, her past, and her future into the open, forcing her to deal with her life with all its ups and downs. Although Rain is a Native American, Smith portrays her as an average American girl with the same thoughts and feelings as everyone else. This is a wonderful story for readers to experience life along with Rain and see the world through the eyes of someone with special qualities and a heritage that helps her face the challenges she must face every day.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Publisher’s Weekly. The sensitive yet witty narrator, 14-year-old Cassidy Rain Berghoff, grows up in a small Kansas town as one of the few people with some Native American heritage. That experience alone might challenge Rain, but Smith creates a welter of conflicts. Rain’s mother is dead (she was struck by lightning), and as the novel opens, her best friend is killed in a car accident just after he and Rain realize their friendship has grown into romance. Six months later, her older brother urges her to go to her great-aunt’s Indian Camp. At first she shrugs it off, but later volunteers to photograph the camp for the town paper and begins to share her Aunt Georgia’s commitment to it.

School Library Journal. There is a surprising amount of humor in this tender novel. It is one of the best portrayals around of kids whose heritage is mixed but still very important in their lives. As feelings about the public funding of Indian Camp heat up, the emotions and values of the characters remain crystal clear and completely in focus. It’s Rain’s story and she cannot be reduced to simple labels. A wonderful novel of a present-day teen and her “patchwork tribe”.

CONNECTIONS

This novel is a great beginning point for readers to discuss loss and what it can and does mean in their lives.

Look for these other novels about modern Native American kids:

Smith, Cynthia Leitich. Jingle dancer. ISBN 9780688162412

Smith, Cynthia Leitich. Indian shoes. ISBN 9780060295318

Carvell, Marlene. Who will tell my brother? ISBN 9780786816576

George, Jean Craighead. The talking Earth. ISBN 9780064402125

McCain, Becky Ray. Grandmother’s dreamcatcher. ISBN 9780807530320

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ryan, Pam Muñoz. 2007. Paint the wind. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780439873628

PLOT SUMMARY

Maya has lived with her overprotective grandmother since her parents died. For the past six years, Maya is seldom allowed to leave the house except to attend school. All traces of her past—her mother’s love of horses and her father’s talent for painting have been erased from her life by her disapproving grandmother. All, that is, but a shoebox full of plastic horses that her mother played with when she was a child and a photograph of her mother, atop a brown and white mustang. When Maya’s grandmother suffers a stroke and dies, Maya again finds herself an orphan and is sent to live with her mother’s family in Wyoming—a family that Maya does not remember. As Maya is again uprooted and begins to live the life that her parents wanted her to have, she discovers that she, too loves horses, and, with the help of her grandfather, Moose and Aunt Vi, Maya also rediscovers her parents. Throughout the book, the story is also seen through the eyes of Artemesia, the lead mare in a herd of wild horses. As the story unfolds, Artemesia’s desire to protect her young colt and Maya’s desire to become the person that her parent’s hoped she would become cause their lives to intertwine, weaving a touching tale of love, loss, holding on, and letting go. 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

Although the main character, Maya is not described in detail, her name, Maya Menetti, as well as the short description given by the author—“delicate and lean frame, russet-red hair, and unforgettable purplish eyes…Maya’s skin, a shade darker in tone and suggesting her father’s and grandmother’s southern European roots” gives readers a clear picture of the troubled girl as well as her mixed heritage. The behavior of Maya’s grandmother, very proper, protective and concerned with outward appearances, is emphasized by the housekeeper’s agreement with Maya’s grandmother on “the way children should be monitored”. It is further highlighted by the way that all Maya’s memories of her mother and her father’s artistic talent have been removed from her life. However, Maya keeps her mother’s memory alive by her contact with the box of plastic horses and photo of her mother.

Ryan’s description of Artemesia and the rest of the herd takes readers to the wild plains of Wyoming, and when the helicopters arrive for “the gathering”, readers feel the terror that Artemesia feels. Artemesia’s home, the plains of Wyoming are in stark contrast to the environment in which Maya has spent the past six years. From her grandmother’s palatial home in Pasadena, California, to the ranch house and tent that Maya lives in with her mother’s family. This contrast is emphasized by the third-person telling of Artemesia’s story. Artemesia has spent time in captivity before when she was purchased after a gathering. She was bought by Aunt Vi, and was ridden by Maya’s mother. The link between Artemesia and Maya goes deeper than the past, however. The book is divided into sections that are titled after a horse’s gait—walk, jog, lope, and gallop, and give a name to the sense of individuality and joy that Maya begins to experience as she becomes more confident and experienced in her new life.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Publisher’s Weekly. When her imperious grandmother dies suddenly, 11-year-old Maya, an orphan, is sent to Wyoming to live with her mother’s family-strangers to her, thanks to her grandmother’s high-handed notions. There Maya discovers a love of horses, especially those raised and trained by her great-aunt Vi.

Children’s Literature. Maya leads a life of quiet obedience, never venturing outside except for school, never experiencing normal childhood activities, and never having friends. Playing with her mother’s toy horses and exacting minor acts of revenge on the household staff are her only solace. Then, orphaned again when her grandmother dies, Maya is sent to Wyoming to live with relatives she did not know she had: her mother’s father, uncle, and aunt. Thus begins the heart of this tale of a girl discovering the true meaning of family and freedom.

CONNECTIONS

The background of this story found on Pam Muñoz Ryan’s website lends itself well to a discussion of the research that is required to write an accurate and enthralling work of fiction.

Look for these other books by Pam Muñoz Ryan:

Ryan, Pam Muñoz. Esperanza rising. ISBN 9780439120425

Ryan, Pam Muñoz. Becoming Naomi Leon. ISBN 9780439269971

Ryan, Pam Muñoz. Riding Freedom. ISBN 9780439087964

Ryan, Pam Muñoz. Our California. ISBN 9781580891172

Ryan, Pam Muñoz. Amelia and Eleanor go for a ride. ISBN 9780590960755

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Mora, Pat. 2002. A library for Juana: the world of Sor Juana Inés. Ill. by Beatriz Vidal. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0375086431

PLOT SUMMARY

Mora follows the life of Juana Inés, a child with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. When Juana was three years old, she followed her older sister to school and asked to be part of the class. From that moment, Juana’s life revolved around books and knowledge. As a child, her favorite question was why?—“Why do volcanoes smoke? Why are leaves green?” As Juana explored her world, she enjoyed playing with words and sounds, and began to write poetry. Juana’s dream was to go to Mexico City to study at the university, but only boys were allowed to attend university. So, when Juana went to dinner dressed as a boy and informed her parents that she was practicing to go to the university, because girls were as smart as boys. As Juana grew older, she moved to Mexico City to live with her aunt and uncle, who hired a tutor to teach her at home. Even then, Juana was more interested in books that her appearance or the other things that girls were supposed to be interested in, and when her aunt and uncle took her to the palace, the viceroy and his wife were so impressed with her beauty and talent that she was asked to become a lady-in-waiting at the palace. Juana became a favorite at the palace, and many people came to her and asked her to write poems and riddles for them. The viceroy even invited forty scholars to the palace to ask Juana questions, and although the questions were difficult, Juana was able to answer every one. Juana loved learning, and, since she needed quiet to think and to write, she became a nun and changed her name to Juana Inés de la Cruz. While at the convent, she continued to add books to her library until it became one of the largest libraries in the Americas. One of Juana’s greatest achievements was the publication of her own book of poems, which she added to her library. The watercolor illustrations by Vidal are reminiscent of renaissance miniatures that were popular during Juana’s life and detail both the activity of life at the palace as well as the beauty that surrounded Juana in her new home. The opening illustration shows Juana looking at books and a swirl of illustrations show readers the topics of her books in a dreamy swirl that covers both pages. Similarly, the two-page spread illustrating Juana with the scholars is highlighted by insets of the topics on which she was quizzed—music, art, math, literature, and astronomy. The expressive faces in the pictures along with the flowers that grow in the margins of each page add a beauty to the text that emphasizes both the strength and the femininity of the heroine.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

A Library for Juana is a fascinating look at the life of one of the foremost scholars of the renaissance age. Although the font used for the text is very small, the use of quotes and poems from Juana herself adds a dynamic to the story that will enthrall readers. Additionally, readers will find Spanish text interspersed with English, infusing the story with Juana’s heritage and culture. Juana’s European heritage is highlighted throughout the biography, and readers will also find that A Library for Juana calls attention to the different value that culture placed on women in the 17^th century. Juana was a “poet, defender of women’s educational rights, intellectual, playwright, environmentalist, wit.” As the first great Latin American poet, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, by her life and art, proved to the world that women “can do more than spin and sew, they could study and prove all they know”. 

The illustrations by Vidal explore the different appearances of people in the European cultures. The miniature watercolors show people with varying shades of skin as well as different hair colors and hairstyles, which add to the integrity of the story. Juana’s story, told in both words and illustrations show her love of books and learning, is inspiring, and will provide motivation for achievement in readers who identify with the heroine.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

School Library Journal. Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz died in 1695 in a convent in Mexico. Despite the passage of more than 300 years, she is still considered one of Mexico’s most brilliant scholars. An internationally known bibliophile and poet whose works are studied in university Spanish literature courses, she was a Renaissance woman in the most complete sense of the word. Mora’s beautifully crafted text does credit to its subject, following her from birth to death. Sor Juana In s comes across as intelligent, headstrong, humorous, and kind, and her retreat to the convent as a place of learning seems natural.

Kirkus Reviews. This picture-book biography of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz brings the great 17th-century poet and intellectual, revered throughout Latin America, to the attention of English-speaking children. Graced by Vidal’s (The Magic Bean Tree, not reviewed, etc.) exquisite gouache-and-watercolor illustrations, created with a magnifying glass and small brushes in the style of illuminated manuscripts, this is quite elegant. Graceful flowers, especially roses (the subject of one of Sor Juana’s best-known poems), link text and pictures.

CONNECTIONS

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz enjoyed playing with sounds and words, and in the palace, she was often asked to write riddles and poems for other palace residents. By writing poems and riddles, students can discover the creative side of this historic figure.

Look for these books of poetry by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz:

de la Cruz, Sor Juana Inés. Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz poems: a bilingual anthology. ISBN 9780916950606

de la Cruz, Sor Juana Inés. Sonnets of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz in English verse. ISBN 9780773473386

de la Cruz, Sor Juana Inés. Sor Juana anthology. ISBN 9780674821217

de la Cruz, Sor Juana Inés. Sor Juana’s love poems. ISBN 9780965155861

de la Cruz, Sor Juana Inés. The answer/la respuesta: including a selection of poems. ISBN 9781558610767

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Soto, Gary. 1995. Canto familiar. Ill. by Annika Nelson. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 0152000674

PLOT SUMMARY

Gary Soto has combined a look at the familiar in a book of poems that celebrate the familiar moments in lives, especially the lives of children. From poems about familiar foods, to a celebration of success in school and well-loved pets, Soto uses a combination of Spanish and English to depict the people and places that mean “home” to him. The woodcut illustrations by Nelson also celebrate the Hispanic culture with their bright colors and folkloric emphasis that is a celebration in color and style.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

Even in its title, Canto Familiar celebrates the familiar and the things that make readers think of home and comfort. Geared toward the Hispanic culture, the book of simple poems gives tribute to many aspects of the Hispanic way of life, from food to celebration of a beautiful spring day. Throughout the selection of poems, readers will find dialect and forms of address that are well-known to people from this culture and others who find themselves part of the tradition that makes this one of the enduring cultures in the United States today. From exclamations such as ¡Ay Dios! to the people who ask the girl with the broken watch ¿Qué hora es?, Soto’s attention to detail through language is exceptional.

In addition to dialect, readers will also notice familiar forms of address. Abuelo and Abuela are mentioned frequently along with Mami/Moma and Papi, and hermana and hermano. These forms of address are as familiar in song as they are in daily life for the Mexican American culture. Along with the forms of address, the Aztec culture is mentioned in “Sarape”, a poem about a blanket the colors of the Aztec rainbow which was handed down so often, no one is sure where it belonged originally.

Physical description plays a large part in Canto Familiar. Although much of the description is found in the illustrations by Annika Nelson, in “Papi’s Menudo”, readers will find a description of Papi—“red in his eyes and whiskers the color of iron filings standing up on a magnet”. The old men playing checkers under the grape arbor had faces that were “lined and dark as the earth at their feet”. These descriptive phrases, along with the colorful woodcut illustrations by Nelson provide an imaginative look at ordinary and familiar sights.

Although readers will find abundant Hispanic dialect and forms of address throughout Soto’s selections, perhaps the most noticeable cultural aspect of this collection are the references to food. From the first poem, “Papi’s Menudo” which discusses not only menudo but tortillas to dip in it, but tortillas which do not end up in their traditional round shape, but more like continents and countries in “Tortillas Like Africa”. Food is also celebrated in “Doing Dishes” where the main character complains that when it was someone else’s night to do the dishes there was “one pot and three dishes”, but because they had chicken mole, there were plates, forks knives, a wooden spoon, and a pot stained with sauce. In Soto’s book, as in the Hispanic American culture, food plays an important and vital part of daily life.  

The woodcut illustrations by Annika Nelson represent the familiar way of life also. From the bright colors of the clothing and furnishings to the predominantly dark, straight hair of the characters, the Hispanic American culture is celebrated in picture. The hairstyles are basically the same—mature women have straight hair parted in the middle, and younger girls have pigtails, ponytails, or no particular hairstyle. Men and boys both have straight hair, brown in color and parted either on the side or down the middle. Although the culture today has as many hairstyles as there are personalities, the basic celebration of the familiar life is seen in every illustration.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Booklist. A companion to Soto’s “Neighborhood Odes” (1992), this collection of simple free verse captures common childhood moments at home, at school, and in the street. Many of the experiences are Mexican American (”Spanish is seeing double” ), and occasional Spanish words are part of the easy, colloquial, short lines. The first-person voices are immediate, physical, and joyful, celebrating music, dancing, cats, friends, family.

School Library Journal. Who could imagine that such joyous rhythm could be found in the familiar moments of life, such as washing dishes or spotting a teacher in the market? In this companion volume to Neighborhood Odes (Harcourt, 1992), Soto not only imagines the musical beat, but also captures the energy and tranposes it into poetic songs. Imagery abounds, as in the hot iron that “snorts like a bull.” Nelson’s distinctive block prints bounce off white pages with vibrant magentas and bold blues outlined with thick black lines. The result is a harmony of words and pictures to be anticipated and savored.

CONNECTIONS

Gary Soto celebrates the familiar sights in the life of the Hispanic American culture. Poems in this book feature a celebration of food, dialect, forms of address and descriptive phrases. Students can write a poem about something familiar from the American culture (hot dogs and apple pie), or from a culture of their choosing.

Look for these other books of by Gary Soto:

Soto, Gary. Living up the street.  ISBN 9780440211709

Soto, Gary. Taking sides. ISBN 9780152046941

Soto, Gary. The afterlife. ISBN 9780152052201

Soto, Gary. Too many tamales. ISBN 9780698114128

Soto, Gary. Buried onions. ISBN 9780152062651