FRIDA by Jonah Winter

Winter, Jonah. Frida. Illustrated by Ana Juan. New York: Scholastic Press, 2002. ISBM: 0-590-20320-7. $16.95/$22.99. 

AWARDS:
ALA Notable Book
Américas Award Honor Book
Society of Illustrators’ Original Art Show selection
Parenting Magazine Best Book of 2002
2002 Parents’ Choice Gold Award (includes both English and Spanish texts)
National Association of Parenting Publications Gold Award

After captivating readers with his children’s book about Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, Jonah Winter shifts his focus to the life of Rivera’s resilient wife, Frida Kahlo. In this picture-book biography, Winter describes the life of the renowned artist through the use of poetic diction and incredibly vivid illustrations. The reader is led through Frida’s struggles and accomplishments, bringing light to the way in which she used art as an escape from all the pain that she had to endure. The story begins with her childhood and ends with an explanation of her impact throughout society and of how the inspirational beauty she created instills hope.

The book was originally written in English but has also been translated into Spanish. The diction is strategically chosen and although there are only a few lines per page, the language is sharp, appealing to the emotions of children and adults alike. The format of the text is unique, and the placement varies throughout each page, adjusting to fit within the vibrant illustrations. This seems very appropriate to me, especially considering Frida’s personal artistic style; however, some of the text is on dark colors, which impedes the clarity. For this reason, I think that in a classroom setting this book may be more appropriate for a read-aloud, especially with younger children. The abstract images contain references to Mexican culture, which adds a valuable authenticity to the book. Young students, especially those that have not been exposed to these traditional images before, may not understand the intention behind the illustrations at first, but adults reading it will find themselves immersed in their bold truth.

The audience for this book depends on the intended purpose for reading. Young children will surely enjoy the simple and effortless nature of the language as well as the mesmerizing illustrations. For upper-grade elementary students, the book can be an effective way to introduce a study of Frida’s triumphs and the strains she had to endure in order to achieve them. An analysis of the language and corresponding images could stimulate a sophisticated discussion of the impact of art and the value of a resilient mindset. I would also recommend using this book as a means of encouraging an interest in reading and art for young readers, as well as introducing the concept of biographies.

Reviewed by Erica Munro


This review is part of the Special Section: Books in Spanish, featuring a collaboration with Policy and Language Studies students at San Diego State University. Read more about it here.

TOO MANY TAMALES by Gary Soto

Soto, Gary. Too Many Tamales. Illus. Ed Martinez. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1993. ISBN 0-399-22146-8. $14.95. Grades 1-3.

Award-winning author Gary Soto has written dozens of books for young readers, and Too Many Tamales is another in his catalog of tales that illuminate Mexican American culture. Too Many Tamales tells the story of Maria’s Christmas tragedy-turned-comedy when she thinks she has lost her mother’s diamond ring in the masa of the tamales. It takes the reader into the home of Maria and her beautiful and loving family. We also become familiar with her cousins Dolores, Teresa, and Danny.

The book is beautifully written in English with a few interjections in Spanish. The words in Spanish are italicized and are simple words such as niña and masa. The print is easily readable, and the pictures add to the comprehension for readers who struggle with the text alone. Too Many Tamales contains dialogue and many descriptive adjectives. It is easy to relate to this book, and I think children of every age would enjoy it. I especially recommend Too Many Tamales for a first-grade read-aloud.

Reviewed by Chelsea Benson


This review is part of the Special Section: Books in Spanish, featuring a collaboration with Policy and Language Studies students at San Diego State University. Read more about it here.

CELEBRA HANUKKAH CON UN CUENTO DE BUBBE by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy

Ada, Alma Flor and F. Isabel Campoy. Celebra Hanukkah con un cuento de Bubbe. Illus. Mariano Epelbaum. Miami: Santillana USA Publishing Company, Inc., 2007. ISBN 1-59820-122-0. $11.95.

Categories: K-6 Social Studies/Language Arts/Math; Family, Food, Generosity, Multicultural, Myths and Legends, Expository Text, Dialogue, Character, Parts of a Story, Number Sense.
More info: www.santillanausa.com

Renowned children’s book authors Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy take us around the Hanukkah table at Bubbe’s (Yiddish for grandma) house where three siblings learn about generosity as they are each tempted by the golden fried latkes laid out before them. In true culturally Jewish fashion, Bubbe tells a traditional Hanukkah tale of two brothers during the time of Jewish slavery that mirrors the generosity the children are displaying to one another. The first part of the book is written in dialogue as it tells its story.

Originally written in Spanish, this book also has an English translated version available. Older readers could work on translation skills by analyzing the text of both copies. For both versions, Mariano Epelbaum provides bright and inviting illustrations, with many clearly articulated details ripe for student questioning. Translations for Yiddish words are provided at the bottom of each page where they are used in a text size that may require teacher assistance depending on the age.

The second part of the book reads as expository text about the aspects of Hanukkah. It has much more of a textbook quality in that it features photographs in place of Mariano Epelbaum’s illustrations. Readers may want to know that the majority of the photographs are of Ashkenazi Jews, in other words light skinned, as opposed to providing the reader with a more representative picture of multicultural Jewish identity. Even with this critique, however, this seems to be the only children’s book about Hanukkah written in Spanish in current circulation. The section on the dreidel game can also be easily converted into a collaborative math lesson on number sense. In the end of this informational section, a variety of other winter holidays that feature lights are presented. This can be used to encourage multicultural dialogue and further analyzed with the use of a Venn diagram.

This book is perfect for K-6, depending on the intention of instruction. Social Studies topics of family, food, generosity, and multicultural awareness can all be easily addressed. Language arts in either English or Spanish, depending on the copy, can cover myths and legends, expository text, and elements of a story. As mentioned earlier, math lessons on number sense can also be found within these pages. It is also simply an entertaining read for learners of all ages who would like to learn more about the Hanukkah holiday.

Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Aspen Shirley-Dancoff


This review is part of the Special Section: Books in Spanish, featuring a collaboration with Policy and Language Studies students at San Diego State University. Read more about it here.

THE UPSIDE DOWN BOY by Juan Felipe Herrera

Herrera, Juan Felipe. The Upside Down Boy/El Niño de Cabeza. Illus. Elizabeth Gomez. San Francisco, CA: Children’s Book Press, 2000. 0-89239-162-6. 

This book is non-fiction and bilingual in English and Spanish. A slight heavier weight seems to be given to English; in most of the book English text is at the top of the page and Spanish text is a at the bottom. The book has accurate translation by the same author, who is a native Spanish speaker and bilingual and biliterate in both languages. The author writes some words in English on the Spanish text and vice versa, which is interesting because it resembles his initial language experiences and how it feels to learn another language. There is no rhyme, rhythm, alliteration or repetition in the text, nor is a glossary provided.

The book is beautifully illustrated and the paintings enrich it. The topics discussed include immigration, food, music and painting. The book illustrates childhood experiences when moving from a rural to an urban area. The featured character is a child who is supported by his family and his new classmates as he integrates into a new society. The positive interactions can inspire kids to understand a different society even when challenged by alienation.

The Upside Down Boy/El Niño de Cabeza is about courage and the importance of family and community. At the beginning of the book, Juanito is exited about moving with his family from a rural area to an urban community in San Diego. At the turning point of the story, he is nervous, intimidated, and confused due to the school environment that is all new to him. Eventually, he becomes confident, included, and successful thanks to his teacher, peers, and parents, who guide him toward personal growth by emphasizing his courage and talents. The story focuses on the support children need to achieve their goals.

I recommend this book because it gives a great opportunity to native Spanish speakers and newcomers to relate to the main character and overcome difficulties. Also, due to the elaborate and rich text in both languages, the book delivers an opportunity to develop biliterate language skills. Interesting and uncommon vocabulary in both languages is included, which facilitates a connection to the book. A good audience for this book would be second and third graders, or students at an intermediate language development level.

Ariel Castillo Garrido


This review is part of the Special Section: Books in Spanish, featuring a collaboration with Policy and Language Studies students at San Diego State University. Read more about it here.

¡CATAPLUM! by Philippe Corentin

Corentin, Philippe. ¡Cataplum! Trans. Anna Coll-Vinent. Sant Joan Despi, Barcelona: Editorial Corimbo, 2006. ISBN: 84-8470-235-9. $27.65. 

¡Cataplum!, a story about a hungry, lonely wolf and the bunnies who fear him, was originally written in French in 1994 and translated into Spanish by Anna Coll-Vinent. The word choice in Spanish that she uses to translate I believe is a bit difficult to understand, but it is an accurate one. These are not your everyday Spanish words that we are used to hearing. This book is meant for kindergarten, so in order for students to understand some of the Spanish words there will have to be some vocabulary review. The illustrations in the book are good quality. They are not realistic at all, but for those students that are still acquiring language and learning to understand it, the illustrations do a good job of telling the story. They are very explicit in showing what the text is telling.

¡Cataplum! is told in present tense and takes place in the forest. The characters in the book include the wolf, who is portrayed as the bad guy, and the colony of bunnies. The wolf is automatically portrayed as mean because he is hungry, but in reality he would like to be nice. He has no friends, though, because the bunnies are afraid of him and always hide from him. On his birthday, he wonders if anyone will remember. He goes to the bunnies tunnel to find food and learns that the bunnies are all gone. As the wolf searches the tunnel for food, the story goes back and forth in describing what a bad wolf he is to how he is nice and would like someone to play with. He keeps searching the tunnel until he slips and falls down the stairs, hence the title Cataplum! And there he finds that all the bunnies have gathered to sing him happy birthday. He is caught by surprise because he never thought they would do something like that for him.

This story could be used in correlation with a kinder social studies lesson that focuses on being a good citizen. It has a good storyline, and students will easily grasp the concept of how a good citizen should act, and they will also learn that a character’s behavior in a story has consequences.

I recommend using this book to teach about good citizens of the community or just as a fun read. As I stated before, this book has a story line that is easy for students to understand and follow.

Reviewed by Annette Gutierrez


This review is part of the Special Section: Books in Spanish, featuring a collaboration with Policy and Language Studies students at San Diego State University. Read more about it here.