Lots of food, hugs, kisses, and endearments
A beautiful tribute to mothers, grandmothers, and care-giving women, 13 poets write with joy, humor, and love about the maternal bond.
The poets write about their Puerto Rican, Cuban, Mexican, and Venezuelan backgrounds and about their families in the U.S. Some of the poems are sentimental and vague, but the best of them catch the specifics of character and feeling from the child's viewpoint.
On the page opposite each poem, big, bold illustrations mix traditional media and computer graphics to create brilliant color and swirling figures, many with a mama's circling arms at the center.
A glossary and short biographies of the poets are included.
Written in Spanish and English
Pat Mora, born in El Paso, Texas, is an award-winning poet and author of books for adults, teens, and children. Her awards include a Poetry Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Golden Kite Award, American Library Association Notable Book Awards, and honorary doctorates.
A former teacher and university administrator, she is the founder of the family literacy initiative Children's Day, Book Day, El día de los niños / El día de los libros, (Día). The year-long commitment to linking all children to books, languages and cultures, and of sharing what Pat calls "bookjoy," culminates in celebrations across the country in April.
Pat lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico and invites you to visit her at www.patmora.com.
"In a beautiful tribute to mothers, grandmothers, and care-giving women, 13 poets write with joy, humor, and love about the maternal bond. Representing a wide spectrum of Latino voices, the poets range from award-winning authors (Francisco X. Alarc-n, Mora) to a 15-year-old newcomer (Cristina Mu-iz Mutchler). Without exception, the poems are, in their differing forms and voices, of superb literary quality, making effective use of rhythm and meter. While cultural heritage provides a fundamental context, the universality of emotions expressed makes this a book with broad applicability and appeal. Barrag n's bright, bold illustrations are a fitting complement to the selections. Rendered in pencil, cut paper, and gouache, and computer enhanced, they express the varying moods of the poems-from vitality and joie de vivre to sadness and pathos-with precision, force, and grace. Wonderful for reading aloud or for enjoying quietly alone, this is that rare book that will resonate across age ranges and cultures to appeal to the common human experience. A tour de force."
— School Library Journal
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