Bibliographic Data
Mora,
Pat. 2001. Love to Mamá: a Tribute to
Mothers. Ill. Paula Barragán. New York: Lee & Low Books. ISBN:
9781584300199
Brief Plot Summary
Authors
from a variety of Hispanic backgrounds contribute poetry about mothers and
grandmothers.
Critical Analysis
Language
is one of the clearest cultural markers in this collection. Many titles of
poems are Spanish words, Palomita, Las
Abuelitas, Mi Mama Cubana, and more. The titles appear in a bright orange
font matching the vibrancy of the accompanying illustrations. Not all the words
are translated. There are times that the meaning is not in contextual clues and
some readers will have to look them up.
The
authors are from diverse backgrounds, so Spanish speakers may not recognize or
personally relate to all the words. Speaking of varying vocabulary readers will
find multiple words for mother: mami and mamá.
Some
poems have whole sentences in Spanish while others sprinkle words.
“Mi
cielo, come here! I need a big abrazo from you” (2001).
Mi Abuelita es Como un Nopal en Flor is completely in Spanish, but the
opposite page includes the English translation.
The
authors featured in this collection also have short biographies at the end of
the book. They are diverse in their experience as authors and backgrounds,
Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and more. Both men and women are represented
in this group.
The
illustrator is Ecuadoran and has illustrated other children’s books. Paula
Barragán’s illustrations depict characters varying in skin tones from pale to
deep browns. Hair color and textures also vary from brown to red to black to
gray. Some images depict only a single
line of the poems while others set a mood. Barragán creates her work using cut
pieces of paper then edits them in Adobe Illustrator. She often displays
colorful Spanish vocabulary within the pieces.
Readers
will find a multitude of cultural markers to muse over. Many poems feature
foods like empanadas in the poem Mi
Abuela or saffron in arroz con pollo in the poem Mi Mama Cubana. The first poem’s illustration depicts a large
floral skirt. That poem, Palomita,
expresses the creation of the skirt and its fine details. The Poem Las Abuelita
talks about the presents children receive from their grandmothers, preserving
the oral tradition, and salsa music. Abuelita Wears a Dress shows an
illustration depicting the last lines, “And when la cumbia sways our hips
across the floor, Abuelita’s bright red lipstick smile dances even more”
(2001). Readers see a party scene of dancing and family affection.
According
the Smolen and Oswald one of the common worldviews of Hispanic peoples is the
valuing of familial relationships (2001). This book is clearly a celebration of
a particular familial relationship, that with the mother. Many illustrations show
family members embracing, sitting closely, hands reaching for each other, and
looking fondly into each other’s eyes. Lines from poems share memories and images
of the experience of enjoying this relationship. The mood is fond and celebratory.
There is hugging and laughing. The pages hold much love and joy.
Smolen, Lynn Atkinson, and Ruth A. Oswald. 2011.
Multicultural literature and response affirming diverse voices. Santa Barbara,
Calif: Libraries Unlimited.
Awards & Best Books
Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for
PreK-Grade 6, 13th Edition, 2002 National Council of Teachers of English
Best Children's Books of the Year, 2002
Bank Street College of Education
Books to Read Aloud to Children of All
Ages, 2003 Bank Street College of Education
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition,
Supplement, 2002 H.W. Wilson
Children's Catalog, Nineteenth Edition,
2006 H.W. Wilson
Growing Up Latino in the U.S.A., 2004
ALSC American Library Association
Kirkus Book Review Stars, March 15,
2001
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for
Young People, 2002 National Council for the Social Studies NCSS
Parent's Guide to Children's Media,
2001 Parent's Guide to Children's Media, Inc.
School
Library Journal Book Review Stars, April 2001 Cahners
Review Excerpt(s)
“These personal poems carry meaning
that transcends the individual and culture.”
- CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book
Center Choices, 2002)
“Handsome patterns reflect her
background as a graphic artist and carpet designer.”
- Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2001 (Vol.
69, No. 6)
“The opaque, saturated palette gives a
poster-like flatness to the compositions, but slightly askew geometric figures
add additional energy. Remember this for May displays and programming.”
- Janice M. Del Negro (The Bulletin of
the Center for Children's Books, April 2001 (Vol. 54, No. 8))
Connections
Lesson plan
via Lee & Low Books:
One
particularly good set of questions from this plan are: Should poems always rhyme? Have you ever read any that don’t? What were
they like? Were they easier or more difficult to understand than poems that
rhyme?
Another
great exercise from the lesson plan is to ask students how the color words
contribute to the overall meaning of each poem. The instructor can take it a
step further by having students create their own color words poems.
Lesson
plan via Pat Mora’s website: http://www.patmora.com/ideas/#mama
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