Book Review: THE SKIRT

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Soto Gary. 1992. THE SKIRT. New York: Delacorte. ISBN 0679883339.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Miata is a girl who always lost her stuff; she loses her combs, sweaters, books, homework and lunch money, and her mother is mad at her for this issue. The most serious thing is that she loses a skirt in the school bus on Friday after class. The skirt had belonged to her mother when she was a child, and now Miata is going to wear it to dance with the other two girls on Sunday after church. Miata and her best friend, Ana, tries very hard; they cross a fence to get into the parking lot and stretch the pole to open the bus door to reach her skirt. Miata gets hurt from falling down on the bump of the bus and almost gets caught by her father as well as run into her mother. Finally she gets the skirt back at a big adventure and the skirt as beautiful as usual. On early Sunday morning, Miata’s mother gives her a tremendous surprise by giving her a brand new skirt with bright new colors and fresh smell. She like the new skirt and feel sad for old one. Finally, Miata has a good idea to dance in wearing both two skirts.

C. RITICAL ANALYSIS
Soto, an author, spontaneously depicts cultural markers in his canon, and it is easy to find cultural markers in “The Skirt” as usual. The readers can easily tell the story is about a Mexican culture from the cover page which with Mexican stripes on words of the title, “Skirt,” as well as the number of each Chapter. Meanwhile, the traditional costume, a folklorico skirt, wears a rainbow of shiny ribbons on the bottom. The food, frijoles, papas fritas and her father’s favorite meal, carne del viernes are also other cultural markers.

The dialect language is the majority of the content in this book. Language involving lot of Spanish dialects and terms play an important role in this story. For example, “Todavia no esta aqui” said by Ana’s grandmother. Soto appropriately utilizes Spanish dialects into the dialects which vividly describing this story rather than enhance difficulty of reading for outside readers. Even though few of Spanish dialects are difficult for readers to understand at the first reading, they still can catch the meaning by reading the following content.

The fluent writing flow and easily read words as well as the intensive storyline about family life and their relationship, and friendships between Miata and Ana are impulses for readers to keep reading and stay eager to read the whole story at one time. Readers can feel the rhythm and tempo while they are reading.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
The Publisher: “A warm-hearted story about a contemporary Mexican-American family.”

Publishers Weekly: “spunky and imaginative'' heroine, Miata comes up with a clever plan to retrieve her beloved folklorico dance skirt.”

School Library Journal: “This is a light, engaging narrative that successfully combines information on Hispanic culture with familiar and recognizable childhood themes. The San Joaquin Valley, California, setting is realistically drawn, and the closeness of Miata's family is reassuring. A fine read-aloud and discussion starter, this story blends cultural differences with human similarities to create both interest and understanding.”

E. CONNECTIONS
The website information about Gary Soto

The official Gary Soto website: http://www.garysoto.com/
Gary Soto: A teacher resource file: http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/soto.htm
FactMonster: http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0884322.html

Book Review: FIESTA FIREWORKS

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ancona George. 1997. FIESTA FIREWORKS. New York: Lee & Shepard. ISBN 0688148174.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
This is a story about firework festival of Tultepec in Mexico. The story begins with Caren, and her mother packing food for her families, her father, uncle and grandfather, who are too busy to finish fireworks for the festival. The adults back to work after lunch, and Caren and her mother make a small torito, a puppet of a bull’s head, together to carry in the parade on the festival. All the people in this municipality are busy to make things ready for festival; some make groups’ toritos, some put decoration on church with flowers and sprinkle colored sawdust on the walk like a carpet around the church. On the date of festival, children carry giant sparklers and men hold poles with spinning wheels of whistling rockets which light up the plaza and then the parade of small toritos and giant toros come to the plaza. People in this neighborhood eat and play and have a lot of funs in the bright night under the colorful flower sky.

C. RITICAL ANALYSIS
Ancona, a photojournalist, uses photos instead of illustrations to record people’s lives in his books. “Fiesta Fireworks” is a book about the firework festival in the Mexican city of Tultepec. There are many cultural markers including food, vessels, baskets, kitchen tools, a puppet of bull’s head, fireworks, and both decorations on the church and streets from the cover page to the end page which are clearly presented by photos. Meanwhile, the family relationship between Caren and her parents, and extended family relationship such as Caren with her grandfather and uncle as well as community force also is addressed in the content.

There are sixteen Spanish terms including greeting words, titles, food terms, and special events used in this book and more than six terms are repeatedly used for vividly depicting Mexican cultural life and the ritual of the traditional parade. Even though it is difficult for outside reader to know the meaning of terms, Ancona provides the explanation just next to the term and includes a glossary of Spanish terms in the last page. Meanwhile, the book also includes a map of the country which creates a geographic picture for readers.

The fluent writing flow and easily read words clearly related to photos which enhance reading interests for readers and help them have deep understanding about Mexican holiday and their life.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
The Horn Book: “This beautiful book will be prized for the information it gives and as a tribute to Mexican home life.”

Children's Literature: “Ancona's text and pictures show various members of a little girl's family who are busy making fireworks for Tultepec's fiesta. Young readers will love looking at the photos of comical, child-sized bull's head puppets. Other huge fireworks sculptures of the bull's' heads have to be carried or pushed by teams of young men. He weaves Spanish phrases throughout his story of the fireworks makers of Tultepec, and their dangerous jobs, all the while illustrating the idea of the traditional fiesta in a way that can be enjoyed by children of diverse cultural backgrounds.”

School Library Journal: “This stunning photo-essay describes the explosive happenings surrounding the celebration of the feast day of San Juan de Dios. This wonderful event, captured in sharp full-color photographs, includes a mass procession, with the patron saint's statue carried over a carpet of colored sawdust; crackling fireworks; and whistling rockets exploding in the night sky in dazzling designs. An informative tribute presents an enduring Mexican tradition, with exciting visuals and a basic glossary of Spanish terms.”
School Library Journal: “In a burst of colorful photographs, Ancona has brought to life the festival honoring the patron saint of Tultepec, Mexico.”

E. CONNECTIONS
Know more about the author: the website of George Ancona.
http://dept.kent.edu/virginiahamiltonconf/ancona.htmAward

Other books related festival in Hispanic and Latino culture

Puerto Rico by Aurea Rodrguez, 1999.
Celebration: Holidays of the United States of American and Mexico
by Nancy Tabor, 2004.
Fiesta! : Mexico’s Great Celebrations by Elizabeth Silverthorne, 1992.
Pinatas and Smiling Skeletons: Celebrating Mexican Festivals by Zoe Harris
And Suzanne Williams, 1941.

Book Review : THE RAINBOW TULIP

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Mora Pat. 1999. THE RAINBOW TULIP. New York: Penguin Putnam. ISBN 0670872911.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Stella is a Mexican American. She speaks English at school but Spanish at home because her parents emigrate from Mexico and both of them cannot speak English very well. However Stella hopes her mother can speak English well like her neighbors as well as her classmate’s mothers. Stella’s mother is a warm and mild person, and always supports her daughter and gives her whatever she wants. Unlike the dressing and hair style of her mother’s colorless long dresses and a bun, Stella likes colorful dresses, and she cares about other people’s viewpoints on her. On the May parade, Stella wants to be different with other friends with a rainbow tulip dress instead of one single color tulip. Stella’s mother makes her dream come true which encourages her to have confidence on parade and would like to know more about her own culture.

C. RITICAL ANALYSIS
This is a typical picture book presenting Mexican culture recurring themes about family, food, vessels, holidays and immigrants like Harris addresses. Therefore, it is easy to find many cultural marks related to Mexican culture overall context. The story begins with a picture of the whole family at breakfast when mother serving yellow cod liver oil. Stella’s favorite dessert, sweet and sour lime sherbet, is the symbol of immigrants’ feelings. The costumes especially girls’ tulip costume, parade, and Maypole dance in the May parade which are also cultural markers in this book. In addition to the previous visual factors of cultural markers, the author, Mora, depicts both parents with the attitude of nurturing children, the inside feeling of a young girl and the life of immigrants which can be other culture markers.

Spanish Language plays important roles in this story. Mora uses the first-person account from a little girl to tell this story. The intimate terms, such as mama’ in Stella’s dialogues, and her mother consistently replies and answers her in Spanish enhance the relationship between the protagonist with her families in this culture. Stella is a girl not only eager to show her best dressing and focus on her appearance, but also likes to help her friends and make their dance successful. Stella is the role of typical characters of immigrants. They are hesitant and worry about other person’s perspectives.

Mora not only plainly depicts this story about family and friendship, but also describes a dilemma about a little girl’s self-esteem and cultural value; about her life’s difference between at home and outside, and her expectation between her mother at home and outside. The best part of this story is that Mora uses a taste of a traditional Mexican food, lime sherbet to metaphor the life of immigrants; it is sweet and sore and is hard to be different.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Houston Chronicle: "The Rainbow Tulip celebrates diversity...Mora writes in her crystalline style."
Booklist: “The scenarios in words and soft-toned pictures show the warm, loving family and also the fun and success at school. . . . At first, the child is ashamed of her quiet, old-fashioned mother, but her parents keep a piece of Mexico at home, and Stella comes to value her dual heritage, even though it is hard to be different.”
Kirkus Reviews: “Set in El Paso, Texas, this moving family memoir focuses on Mora’s mother as a child who participated in her own way in the May parade...With warmth and directness, Mora celebrates diversity.”
Children's Literature: “Mora weaves many Spanish phrases into her text as she focuses on the May festival for which Stella's aunt sews a colorful tulip-petal skirt. The sensitive, muted watercolor illustrations suit the story's mood while the charming facial expressions help the characters come alive in this timely book.”
Library Journal: “Based on a story from the author's mother's childhood, and perfectly extended by soft, warm pastel drawings framed in white, this tale of family love and support crosses cultural boundaries and may remind youngsters of times when their families made all the difference. Pair this with Mary Hoffman's Amazing Grace, another story of an irrepressible child supported by a loving family.”
Multicultural Review: “Tapping into her mother’s childhood memories, Mora has culled a tender portrait of home life and early schooling to bring us a story of young Estelita, who learns at a very early age to negotiate her way through her dual Mexican-American identity...This is a quiet book that speaks volumes to today’s immigrant child.”
New Mexico Magazine: “Pat Mora, well-known as a poet and nonfiction writer, has created a touching and gentle tale...Mora’s story speaks to the experience of many children, from many generations, who wished their mothers looked more American, spoke English, but who also drew their greatest strength from their families.”

E. CONNECTIONS
Enrichment Activities
Bookmark Creations: Create bookmarks with your students and allow them to choose the content. Ideas include drawing their favorite character, scene, and happiest/saddest moment.
Create a Symbol: Have students design and color their own symbol to illustrate their connections to the special people in their lives.
Family Interview: Discuss with students the importance of carrying on family history through stories and conversations with their elders. Then, ask students to interview a family member and create a poem, dance, or song that represents their family.
Guest Speaker: Getting someone who has immigrated to the United States to come in and speak about the transition and their feelings can be a wonderful experience for children, especially those who are in a similar situation.
Integrate Art: Contact your school's art teacher and brainstorm ideas that would integrate art and the book The Rainbow Tulip. Some suggested materials to use include clay, pastels, or paper collage.

Books by Pat Mora
Agua, Agua, Agua , 1994
Bakery Lady , 2001
Birthday Basket for Tia , 1997
Confetti: Poems for Children , 1996
Delicious Hullabaloo , 1998
The Desert Is My Mother (El Desierto Es Mi Madre) , 1994
Listen to the Desert , 2001
Love to Mama: A Tribute to Mothers , 2001
Maria Paints the Hills , 2002
My Own True Name: New and Selected Poems for Young Adults, 1984-1999 , 2000
The Night the Moon Fell , 2000
Pablo's Tree , 1994
The Race of Toad and Deer , 2001
This Big Sky , 2002
Tomas and the Library Lady , 1997
Uno, DOS, Tres: One, Two, Three , 2000
Wachale!: Poetry and Prose About Growing Up Latino in America , 2001