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Summary
Summary
Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Honor - American Library Association (ALA)
In a series of poetic sentences, a young boy (biracial Mexican/Caucasian) tells about some of the everyday things for which he is thankful.
There are so many things to be thankful for.
For one young boy, it's
flying ladybugs,
splashing ocean waves,
a best friend,
Dad's thick chocolate syrup,
and much more.
Straight from the heart of a child flows this lighthearted bilingual celebration of family, friendship, and fun. Come share the joy, and think about all the things for which you can say, "¡Gracias! Thanks!"
Author Notes
Pat Mora is a bilingual author with a special focus on children's literature. Among her awards are Honorary Doctorates from North Carolina State University and SUNY Buffalo, Honorary Membership in the American Library Association, Life-Time Membership in USBBY, a Civitella Ranieri Fellowship to write in Umbria, Italy, and a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Texas at El Paso. She was a recipient and judge of a Poetry Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and a recipient and advisor of the Kellogg National Leadership Fellowships.
Her children's books include: Water Rolls, Water Rises/El agua rueda, el agua sube. With her daughter, Libby Martinez, Pat also recently wrote I Pledge Allegiance and Bravo, Chico Canta! Bravo!. A literacy advocate, Pat founded Children's Day, Book Day, El día de los niños, El día de los libros often known as Día. The year-long commitment promotes creatively linking all children and families to books, and establishing annual April Children's Day, Book Day celebrations across the country. April 2016 will be Día's 20th Anniversary. Pat's Book Fiesta captures the Día spirit.
A former teacher, university administrator, museum director, and consultant, Pat is a popular national speaker who promotes creativity, inclusivity and bookjoy.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Horn Book Review
From morning till night, a young boy says thanks -- to the sun that wakes him up "so I don't sleep for years and years," to his pajamas, "so soft they feel like I'm putting on air." In between, he's grateful for friends and family, ocean waves, and ladybugs. Often poetic (the ladybug is "a little red flying surprise"), often funny (the boy is thankful for his mother, who found his lost homework), Mora's text is presented in Spanish first, then English, a respectful nod to Spanish-speaking readers. Parra's folk-art-style acrylic illustrations look as though they're painted on wood; the lines and imperfections give the pictures a worn, homey appearance that matches the sweetness of the text and the old-fashioned feel of the setting. This grateful lad has simple, low-tech belongings such as a baseball and glove, a kite, and a microscope -- not a video game in sight. But there's nothing outmoded about the sentiment, and many young readers will see themselves or someone they know in this biracial Latino boy who likes fishing, listening to his uncle's electric guitar, and eating chocolate syrup on ice cream. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* From the sun waking him up in the morning to a cricket chirping him to sleep at night, a young boy gives thanks for the many things and people who enrich his life. These blessings are remarkable for their childlike imagination and fresh imagery: Por mis piyamas viejos, tan suaves que me siento como si me estuviera poniendo aire, gracias. / For my old pajamas, so soft they feel like I'm putting on air, thanks. The bilingual format features Spanish on the left-hand page and English on the right, and the dedication and author's note are also printed in both languages. The boy himself appears to be bicultural, with a fair-skinned, blond mother and a Latino father, and together with the boy's siblings and extended family, they are warmly depicted dancing, fishing, working, and eating. Parra's vivid acrylic illustrations have the feel of folk-art woodcuts and whimsically portray the details of the boy's world, from his kite and books to his tennis shoes and ice cream. Books of thanks can run toward clichés, but the originality and liveliness of language and art in this one will inspire children to consider their own blessings.--Perkins, Linda Copyright 2009 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-A boy recounts the many things he is thankful for, like his time at the beach and the bees that don't sting him when he is outside playing. The poetic writing flows in both Spanish and English and carries a sense of happiness brought by the simple things in life. The cheery and brightly colored acrylic illustrations are full of fun details and add depth to the text. Multicultural characters are revealed page by page, but unless readers are paying close attention, they might not pick up on the boy's Mexican-American heritage. This delightful bilingual book has universal appeal and would be a wonderful choice for library storytimes or classroom read-alouds as the "giving thanks" theme lends itself to holidays and social topics. The author's endnote challenges readers to list the things for which they are thankful. A must buy for all libraries looking to add to their children's Spanish collections.-Shannon Dye Gemberling, Peoria Public Library, AZ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
From "the sun that wakes me up so I don't sleep for years and years and grow a long, white beard" to the "old pajamas, so soft they feel like I'm putting on air" and "the cricket hiding when he serenades us to sleep," a little Latino boy says "gracias!" with sweetly ingenuous enthusiasm. Mora has a keen sense of the concrete, child-friendly detail, and it's put to splendid use here. Readers will find themselves nodding in agreement as the unnamed narrator gives thanks to the ladybug that lands on his finger, the bees that don't sting him and his little brother, who throws mashed peas at their sister. Parra's folk-artstyle acrylics evoke a suburban neighborhood replete with twining morning glories, green lawns and red-tiled roofs. The flat perspectives and bright colors skillfully complement the child's voice. Dom"nguez's Spanish translation precedes the English text of this bilingual tale on each spread, a thoughtful touch that honors both the book's creators and its Latino audience. For this graceful celebration, gracias! (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
