My Little Car: Mi Carrito

Soto, Gary, and Pamela Paparone. My little car = Mi carrito. New York: G.P. Putnam's, 2006.

Plot Summary:

Teresa is tired of riding her tricycle, as she thinks it’s a baby’s ride. On her birthday, Teresa is surprised when her grandparents send her very first low rider in the mail.  Teresa is proud of her new car, and she even wins a prize for it. Eventually, she begins neglecting her car, and it becomes old, sticky, and crooked. But, with the help of her grandfather, the car eventually looks even better than the day she received it.

Critical Analysis:

My Little Car: Mi Carrito by Gary Soto is a picture book for children with a heavy emphasis on Mexican American culture. Teresa, the young girl in the story, receives a low rider pedal car for her birthday. Low rider cars are often seen in Chicano culture, and the story indicates that having this type of car is something of which to be proud. Other Chicano cultural markers can be found in the characters’ clothing, including bandanas, flashy jewelry, and cowboy boots. Religious symbols, particularly Catholic, are included in Pam Paparone’s illustrations. Along the way, readers have the opportunity to learn many Spanish words, including carrito (car), bailar (dance), hijole (wow), and abuelito (grandfather).  The Spanish words are well incorporated into the text, and can be understood easily by using contextual clues.

Pam Paparone’s acrylic illustrations are accurate, but not stereotypical. The bright illustrations bring emotion to the pages. While the culture is well received in through the text of the story, the illustrations complete the picture book. By the end of this story, Teresa learns the importance of being responsible and comes to appreciate the ownership of her low rider. Young readers will enjoy the text read aloud or independently. This book provides a great example of an authentic, non-stereotypical picture book for children with an emphasis on Mexican-American culture.

Reviews:

Booklist:

Earnest, scrupulously politically correct storytelling has never been Soto's style: Chato's Kitchen (1994) inked at pachuco cliche and, to many readers' delight, slipped barrio slang into the hallowed precincts of a picture book. Here, Soto addresses young children, transplanting another oft-caricatured element of Chicano culture--the lowrider--into a tale featuring a toy pedal-car and a little girl (in a wonderful reversal of the usual machismo surrounding vehicles). The story line meanders a bit and is a little preachy, involving a lesson in taking responsibility for prized possessions. But the exuberant blend of English and Spanish (a glossary at the front of the book clarifies expressions such as hijole! and mi'ija) gives the narrative a needed boost, and kids who call the barrio home will love finding reflections of their own communities in Paparone's affectionate, stylized acrylic paintings: a Mexican flag flutters from a child's tricycle, a bodega advertises pollo fresco. For children unfamiliar with Chicano culture, offer this alongside alternative perspectives that can prevent the lowrider emphasis (especially problematic in one image of a grown-up slouching at the window of his showy pink lowrider) from perpetuating stereotypes. Don't be surprised, though, if the story of the shiny, child-sized hot rod and its hapless owner pleases audiences far more than titles that more piously press the multicultural buttons.

Kirkus:

Mexican-American first-grader Teresa feels too old for her tricycle, and she's overjoyed when her Grandpa Benny sends her a pedal-powered low-rider with personalized plates and flame decals. She proudly drives it through the neighborhood and "makes it dance" for the kids at the playground. But Teresa leaves it out in the rain and doesn't keep it clean. Her father nearly backs over it. Then, despite its dilapidated state, the little car saves her from a scary dog and she decides to fix it up. Grandpa Benny stops by to see the car, but doesn't recognize it; he says it looks older than him. Teresa assures him he's not old and they fix the car up together. She even lets her little sister Pumpkin sit in it, as they attach "chile" headlamps. The simple story, peppered with Spanish words-explained textually and in the glossary at the front-is well told and never didactic. Paparone's bright, acrylic illustrations bring Tomie dePaola's work to mind; they're a perfect match for the text. A multicultural lesson with lots of zip.

Awards:

Americas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature, 2007 Commended United States

Connections:

Use this book to teach about responsibility and ownership. The book makes for a great read-aloud, and children have the opportunity to learn several Spanish words along the way.

Check out the following picture books also about Mexican Americans....

Anaya, Rudolfo A., and Edward Gonzales. The farolitos of Christmas. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 1995.

Bertrand, Diane Gonzales. . Houston, Tex.: Piñata Books, 2003.

My diary from here to there. San Francisco: Children's Book Press, 2002.

Soto, Gary, and Ed. Martinez. Too many tamales. New York: Putnam, 1993.

Tafolla, Carman. What Can You Do With a Rebozo?/ Que puede hacer con un rebozo?. Berkeley: Paw Prints, 2009.

Dizzy In Your Eyes

Mora, Pat. Dizzy in your eyes: poems about love. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2010.

Plot Summary:

Pat Mora’s poetry collection contains many various poems about love in all forms. The collection shares poems about young love, parental love, break-ups, family and more. While the poems contain vastly diverse subjects, they all meet together to form a central and universal theme: love.

Critical Analysis:

Dizzy in Your Eyes, a poetry collection by Pat Mora, contains a collection of fifty poems about love in all forms. Although the collection is intended for a young adult audience, the poems span all generations and cultures. While each poem is about a different type or stage of love, the poems collect back to the central theme of “love.” Several poetry styles are explored in this collection, including sonnet, blank verse, tanka, tercet, list poetry, and more. The different styles of poetry used make the text appealing to readers who may be otherwise unexcited by poetry. Since readers may not be familiar with each style of poetry, Mora has included an easily understood explanation of each type. The poems are informal, easy to read, and accompanied by geometric graphics on the left sides of the book.

Since Pat Mora speaks both Spanish and English, many of the poems in the collection have a Hispanic vibe. One example of the Hispanic theme is using the titles “Mami” and “Papi” in the entry “Valentine to Papi.” Another poem in the collection, “Spanish,” discusses the challenges of speaking a new language.  Since the theme of love is a culturally diverse subject, the cultural aspect of this collection is not an integral part of the collection.

This assortment of poetry is well-written, diverse, and has subject content appropriate for young adults. While some of the poems are written with a Hispanic twist, those of any culture can appreciate the poems since love is understood by all cultures.

Reviews:

Booklist:

From family and school to dating and being dumped, the subjects in these 50 poems cover teens’ experiences of love in many voices and situations. Several entries incorporate Spanish words and idioms, as in “Ode to Teachers,” a moving tribute in English with a Spanish translation. A few poems hit a too-sweet tone with forced rhyme, but the best are wry, passionate, casual, and honest (“It’s nice having a sister especially when boys come over, / and some of them like you better”). One of the best is “Silence,” in which a girl speaks about waiting and waiting for her childhood friend to invite her to the prom. Mora writes in free verse, as well as a wide variety of classic poetic forms—including haiku, clerihew, sonnet, cinquain, and blank verse—and for each form, there is an unobtrusive explanatory note on the facing page. The tight structures intensify the strong feelings in the poems, which teens will enjoy reading on their own or hearing aloud in the classroom.

VOYA:

Celebrated author and speaker Mora offers encouragement by example in this appealing and evocative poetry collection that spans the rainbow of different types of love as well as provides an array of poetry forms. Many poems are snapshots or vignettes of the myriad emotions and angst experienced during young adulthood. The love is at times simple, innocent, and playful and at other times celebrates those important people such as mothers and teachers. Finally there is the new, intense, dizzy but sometimes scary and often unrequited love. For example in the pantoum form “Dumped,” Mora writes “me, a lump you dumped, casually,” which conveys a feeling almost all teens will experience. While in the villanelle, “Our Private Rhyme,” she offers “I feel you near. We’re intertwined.” The choices of poetry are arranged in a cycle which parallels that of love itself and mirrors a song with four movements. The poems run the gamut of emotions and offer glimpses into the heart and head as well as the creative soul. There are helpful and informative footnotes throughout the text that describe the various styles of poetic form used in the poem on the following page. One poem is even offered in both English and the author’s native Spanish. This collection may be used to stimulate young adults to attempt their own poetry and could easily be employed as a classroom tool.

Awards:

Pure Poetry, 2009 ; Voice of Youth Advocates; United States

Americas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature, 2011 Commended Titles United States

Beehive Award, 2012 ; Nominee; Poetry; Utah

Connections: This book lends itself well to being read aloud. Teens, especially, will enjoy hearing and relating to the poems from this collection. Use this poetry collection in lessons about the varying forms of poetry, creative writing, or multi-cultural literature.

Check out the following titles by Pat Mora:

Mora, Pat, and Maribel Suárez. Wiggling pockets = Los bolsillos saltarines. New York: Rayo, 2009.

Mora, Pat, and Raúl Colón. Tomás and the library lady. New York: Knopf :, 1997.

Mora, Pat, and Raúl Colón. Doña Flor: a tall tale about a giant woman with a great big heart. New York: Knopf, 2005.

Mora, Pat, and Magaly Morales. A piñata in a pine tree: a Latino twelve days of Christmas. Boston: Clarion Books, 2009.

Mora, Pat, and Rafael López. Book fiesta!: celebrate Children's Day/book day = Celebremos el día de los niños/el día de los libros. New York, NY: Rayo, 2009.

The Dreamer

Ryan, Pam Muñoz, and Peter Sís. The dreamer. New York: Scholastic Press, 2010.

Plot Summary:

The Dreamer shares a fictional story of the world famous poet, Pablo Neruda. While growing up, Neftali is ridiculed and teased by peers and family members. Neftali always had a mind for poetry and literature, but his interests were not important to his authoritarian father. With help from his stepmother, uncle, and others close to him, Neftali is finally able to life a life he enjoys, surrounded by poetry.

Critical Analysis:

The Dreamer, written by Paul Munoz Ryan and illustrated by Peter Sis, shares a wonderfully touching and emotional adaptation of Pablo Neruda’s childhood. The story takes place in Temuco, Chile, where young Neftali is badgered by his peers and father for being imaginative and shy. Neftali enjoys reading, writing, learning new words, daydreaming, and collecting treasures from nature. The characters, including Neftali, his siblings, parents and friends seem real and unexaggerated to the reader. Neftali’s authoritarian father successfully foils the character of Neftali, who is reserved and free. Neftali’s father works in the temperate forest, while his mother stays home to care for the children. Although the characters in the story rarely interact with those from other cultures, the story paints an accurate portrait of life in Chile.

Many cultural markers are hidden within the pages of this story. While in the forest with his father, Neftali encounters a Chucao bird, native to Chile. According to folk lore, the Chucao bird brings the listener good luck depending on which side of his body the listener hears the bird’s call. Neftali also finds beetles, spiders, and other insects native to Chile. Another cultural marker in The Dreamer is the sport known to us a soccer. Neftali’s father encourages him to build strength by playing futbol with the neighborhood children. Neftali and his family also enjoy many Chilean meals, including “las empanadas y el bistec” or steak and onions.

Peter Sis’ whimsical illustrations paired with the poetry of Pablo Neruda bring the reader inspiration and encouragement. The poetry questions character, intentions, and the value of conflict. Although this book is over 350 pages, the large and generously spaced font makes for an easy and enjoyable read. Readers are sure to enjoy this fictional adaptation of Pablo Neruda’s childhood.

Reviews:

Booklist:

Respinning the childhood of the widely beloved poet Pablo Neruda, Ryan and Sís collaborate to create a stirring, fictionalized portrait of a timid boy’s flowering artistry. Young Neftalí Reyes (Neruda’s real name) spends most of his time either dreamily pondering the world or cowering from his domineering father, who will brook no such idleness from his son. In early scenes, when the boy wanders rapt in a forest or spends a formative summer by the seashore, Ryan loads the narrative with vivid sensory details. And although it isn’t quite poetry, it eloquently evokes the sensation of experiencing the world as someone who savors the rhythms of words and gets lost in the intricate surprises of nature. The neat squares of Sís’ meticulously stippled illustrations, richly symbolic in their own right, complement and deepen the lyrical quality of the book. As Neftalí grows into a teen, he becomes increasingly aware of the plight of the indigenous Mapuche in his Chilean homeland, and Ryan does a remarkable job of integrating these themes of social injustice, neither overwhelming nor becoming secondary to Neftalí’s story. This book has all the feel of a classic, elegant and measured, but deeply rewarding and eminently readable. Ryan includes a small collection of Neruda’s poetry and a thoughtful endnote that delves into how she found the seeds for the story and sketches Neruda’s subsequent life and legacy.

Kirkus:

Ryan's fictional evocation of the boy who would become Pablo Neruda is rich, resonant and enchanting. Simple adventures reveal young Neftalí's painful shyness and spirited determination, his stepmother's love and his siblings' affection and his longing for connection with his formidable, disapproving father. The narrative captures as well rain falling in Temuco, the Chilean town where he was raised, and his first encounters with the forest and the ocean. Childhood moments, gracefully re-created, offer a glimpse of a poet-to-be who treasures stories hidden in objects and who recognizes the delicate mutability of the visible world, while the roots of Neruda's political beliefs are implied in the boy's encounters with struggles for social justice around him. Lines from a poem by Ryan along with Sís's art emphasize scenes and introduce chapters, perfectly conveying the young hero's dreamy questioning. The illustrator's trademark drawings deliver a feeling of boundless thought and imagination, suggesting, with whimsy and warmth, Neftalí's continual transformation of the everyday world into something transcendent. A brief selection of Neruda's poems (in translation), a bibliography and an author's note enrich an inviting and already splendid, beautifully presented work.

Awards:

Americas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature, 2011 Winner United States

Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 2010 Honor Book Fiction and Poetry United States

Children’s Literature Council of Southern California Book Award, 2011 Winner United States

Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award, 2009 Gold Later School Years United States

PEN Center USA Literary Award, 2011 Winner Children's/Young Adult United States

Prize for Design and Printing, 2011 Third Place Children's Trade Young Adult Hardcover Illustrated United States

Pura Belpre Award, 2011 Winner Author United States

School Library Journal's Battle of the Kids' Books, 2011 Nominee United States

Connections:

Use this book in a study of fictional biographies, poets, or Pable Neruda. The book will encourage children to live out their dreams, regardless of what peers and family members may advise.

Check out the following titles also about Pable Neruda for children:

Brown, Monica, and Julie Paschkis. Pablo Neruda: poet of the people. New York: Henry Holt and Co., 2011.

When I was a boy Neruda called me Policarpo. Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2006.

Neruda, Pablo, and Teo Puebla. Pablo Neruda for children. Madrid: Susaeta, 2000.

Ray, Deborah Kogan. To go singing through the world: the childhood of Pablo Neruda. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006.