Author: Book Buddy Writer

El Barrio and the Inspiration to Become an Artist

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Picture books, as a form of publication, are usually written for young readers, even nonreaders. But, there are many “picture books” with higher vocabulary and abstract ideas that would need an adult to explain to a young child. Grandma’s Gift, written and illustrated by Eric Velasquez is one such picture book. Assigned to the genre biography/memoir, the story is the realistic event described by a young boy whose family lives in Spanish Harlem, New York City. Sometimes referred to as El Barrio, this culturally rich community is Spanish speaking and African American in heritage. Receiving the Pura Belpre Award, some would call the story a memoir written by young Velasquez. 

The story is set during the Christmas holidays. Young Eric will stay with his grandmother while his parents are working. “Grandma” is a perfect example of a loving, wise grandparent. She and her grandson remind me of Latino children I tutor. Their English language is excellent but often must interpret conversations for their parents and others in the immediate family. You learn to love young Eric as you read of his devotion and kindness toward his grandmother.

Much of the book is devoted to a happy holiday tradition in the preparation of delicious Puerto Rico Pasteles.  Searching online, I discovered recipes are lengthy and complicated. The chef must not be shy or uninformed about ingredients as there are many steps for cooking these delicious Christmas dishes.                                                                                                                   Image from http://www.cityneighborhoods.nyc/spanish-harlem-el-barrio

Along with cooking, Grandma and young Velasquez make a visit to the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. The author provides a rich description of emotions for both Grandma and himself as they shyly wander the hallways of the massive building in the heart of the city. To her great surprise his grandmother sees one painting by the famous artist Diego Velazquez. It is a portrait of his slave/assistant Juan de Pareja. You may be puzzled by the term slave in the story but the painting was completed in the mid 17th century. Diego Velazquez was so fond and appreciative of his young assistant; he took action to release him from slavery. Juan continued to work on his artistry and painting eventually becoming a famous artist independent of Velazquez.

Our author of Grandmas’ Gift was so impressed with artist Juan’s story that he was inspired to also become a professional artist. He clearly is successful because the book contains his original paintings of a boy and his grandmother. Each page is filled with beautifully realistic scenes, people, and life-like actions within the story. Facial expressions almost appear like photographs. Bright colors are slightly muted as they would be in a community like El Barrio, New York City. 

Portrait from http://www.fineartofamerica.com

The story is a Latino Christmas event covered with love of family, close-community relationships, and much needed inspiration for young children of color in today’s world.

Reading: why some children do and some don’t.

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Lauren Sisino Freeman

Feb 16, 2023 Feb 16 at 12:13pm

I used to work in Literacy Development, and a key entry point to interest was set aside time to mimic.  Kiddos, especially under three, want to do what you’re doing.  You’ll see many parent blogs talk about getting their toddlers to eat veggies simply by eating them and their kids will always want a bite of “mommy’s/daddy’s food”.  I worked with a boy five days a week from 8 months until three years old.  Every single day I would set aside time, sit down, and read a book out loud.  He would be in the same room with me, he didn’t even have to be actively listening.  After about a week he started to show interest, then within a month he was hooked.  He brought me books, I read them.  We read together, and we would read separately.  The key here, much like the key to getting your kids to eat vegetables, is that it was simply an integrated part of our day.  It was not high stakes, it was not high reward, it was a normal thing of the many activities we did. Providing that 10, 15, 30 minute window of having the option to read, and not being punished if you choose not to, has been essential to all of my clients of all ages in Literacy Development.  The interest has to be intrinsic, not forced. 

In my childhood, I remember reading being linked to being smart.  So, when I didn’t want to read I felt like a failure. If someone read more than me, I felt dumb.  This only motivated me to resist reading even more.  Reading truly is such a powerful tool in every aspect of life, shown to have extreme health benefits.  Taking it off the pedestal and not having it reflect who you are as a person would’ve helped me maintain my interest in reading as a child and I hope I am able to portray that to any children I come across. 

The Very First Caldecott

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There once was an illustrator named Randolph Caldecott who won over the hearts of many children. His drawings became famous all over the British Commonwealth and were even recognized by the Royal Academy. His work was especially popular as Christmas books for children. Even with an enormous talent for connecting with young people, he had no children of his own. His Nursery Rhymes sold over 867,00 copies. It is no wonder the well known the annual award for best illustrator of children’s books is named in his honor.

The Caldecott Award was given to Dorothy Lathrop for Animals of the Bible (1938).

Her Amazing Narratives And Drawings Brought To Life The Animals Portrayed In The Forefront Rather Than Human Characters In The Story. Her Books Didn’t Follow The Strict Parameters Required Of Today’s Publishers. Animals Of The Bible Contained Ninety Nine Pages Filled With Black And White Drawings And Approximately 5000 Words With Stories Of Bible Characters And Their Connection With Animals. The Drawings Appear To Be In Pencil Or Perhaps Charcoal. Details Are Amazing Showing The Beauty Of Both Human And Animal. The Book Is Categorized By LOC As Nonfiction With Notable Animals Whose Lives Are Recorded In The Hebrew And Christian Bible. Even The Serpent As Shown In This Imageclaims A Page In The Beginning Of This Amazing Book. Each Story Closely Follows The Narrative In The King James Version Of The Bible.

Why Reading Matters….

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Reading is an event in the lives of all literate people. Reading covers so many things— recipes, instructions, newspapers, magazines, Facebook, blogs, history books, biographies, fairy tales, mysteries, even banned books like Catcher in the Rye or the Holy Bible— yes the Bible is banned in many parts of the world. All are a part of literate lives. It is important that children learn to appreciate all reading because reading is important to all areas of life: for learning new ideas, for skills, for guidance, in learning about mistakes of the past, for learning about nature, for inspiration, and for pleasure.

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Cats Can be Curious Creatures

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BottomlessBookBag post by Dr. Carol Brown

Are you a cat lover? I have been in the past. I owned a beautiful Siamese with champagne colored fur. Tinker was a cute kitten but grew to be a rather feisty “tom”. And, yet, he was beautiful with his special markings and turquoise eyes.

Books about cats can share a similar kind of paradox. They can be beautiful, fun, helpful, disturbing, as well as unsettling. The cat in Paula Fox’s Newbery award winner, The One-Eyed Cat is not cute or pretty. He is a feral with scrappy body and ragged fur. Sadly, the hero of the story -jumped-the-gun- so to speak by sneaking an early Christmas present out behind the house so he could practice the feel of the weapon in his nine year old hands. An accidental discharge from the gun took the cat’s eye and left our hero with a year’s worth of guilt and remorse. But, good was worked out of the bad when the young boy developed a deep and lasting friendship with an elderly neighbor. The boy inherited wisdom, compassion, and helpful strategies for the feeding and care of a wild cat with only one eye. This book is sad, funny, unsettling, and about as real-world as any I’ve ever read. It is perfect for older elementary through high school readers. It’s especially meaningful for animal lovers.

One-Eyed CAT by Paula Fox and illustrated by Erika Meltzer is a Newbery award honor book. Published by Simon & Schuster (latest edition)

Do you like fables, those moral tales with animals playing the part of humans?

The Cat From Hunger Mountain written and illustrated by Ed Young. (Penguin Random House, 2016)

I know of a very good Caldecott award winner with creative images made from a variety of materials to form collages of a very hungry cat. The Cat From Hunger Mountain by Ed Young teaches a good lesson about greed and gluttony. The storyline is easy to follow but the vocabulary could be above most primary age children. This provides a perfect opportunity for read aloud. The adult reader can improvise and explain the unknown words and some of the abstract concepts in the story. This is a great book for middle school readers, especially those with an interest in the visual arts. It is also a good reminder that greed is a universal failing, one that can bring some very hard life-lessons.

Tinker- my feisty cat.

Both One-Eyed Cat and The Cat from Hunger Mountain are good springboards for research projects. Depending on the ages of your students, you could delve more deeply into the following topics:

World Hunger

Nutrition and Healthful Living

Gun Safety

Relationships between the very young and the very old.

More Ideas for Younger Children

My pet cat. Use drawings and photos to tell pet stories. <be sure to give credit to your sources>

Wordsearch using names of different breeds of cats

What’s the difference between domesticated and wild cats (or jungle cats)?

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Messages for Parents, Grandparents, Caregivers and their Children.

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The Light Wins

Who doesn’t love a good animal fantasy? Think of the adventures of Peter Rabbit stealing

Animal Fantasy holds special appeal.

cabbages in the garden with Mr. McGregor always in hot pursuit. Or, remember Alice in her adventures in underworld wonderland chasing the rabbit who was always chasing time. A more modern story is The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. The noble little mouse had his tale cut off by a misguided young servant girl as he continually was being chased by ravaging rats in the cellar dungeon. As the hero in the story, he was not to be deterred as he continued on his quest to rescue the beautiful human princess (possible only in a fantasy/fable). One of the main themes in The Tale of Despereaux is the persistence of the protagonist (good guy and hero) Despereaux. He kept seeking the light while chasing through the dark tunnels of the dungeon. Even though he must return to the Dark of the dungeon to complete his mission, he never gave up on the Light. In contrast, the wicked rats hated the light with such vengeance they even worked to prevent others from seeking the light.

So many places in scripture refer to Jesus as Light. He came into the world as light for all people, but just like the rats in the Tale of Despereaux some loved darkness more than light. As the Apostle John explains in John 3:19-20, those who do evil hate the light because they know the light exposes the wrong that they do. Evil prefers darkness over light. Light brings a new day. The sun rises and we can see the beauty of the world around us. It can be used to guide us as we walk along a path even at night time. Light causes plants to grow and is needed for life to continue on earth. A spotlight can be a life-saving warning shining on the rocky shore of a beach. Even a laser light is used by the surgeon to cut through disease in human flesh.

The light of Jesus shines through his parables, his miracles, his example of prayer. He shines through his commandments to love God and love our neighbor in the same way we love our self. Later Jesus’ followers also became lights by telling of God’s redemption through Jesus, but remember, we are only a reflection of The Light. To remain bright and shining, we must commit to time with The True Light by studying the Holy Bible, prayer, and seeking His will continually. Jesus’ light never fades and is a guide for us throughout our life.

John 8:12 Jesus said… I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

If you are a parent, grandparent, or other caregiver, click on the Being the Light link below and download a wordsearch puzzle  (www.thewordfinder.com) with a variety of words expressing light!

Being the Light! (download printable puzzle )

Type in your email above to receive notice of upcoming

Messages to Parents, Grandparents, and Caregivers.

This blog has been written by Carol Adamec Brown, retired professor and constant volunteer with her local church.

DiCamillo, K., & Ering, T. B. (2003). The tale of Despereaux: Being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread.

Images from Pixabay.com         

< https://pixabay.com/photos/rabbit-forest-nature-rabbits-3497805/ >

< https://pixabay.com/photos/lighthouse-starry-sky-universe-6785763/>

Puzzle created using The Word Finder < https://www.thewordfinder.com/ >

https://bottomlessbookbag.wordpress.com/

A Mouse and a Princess, Love Conquers All

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The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering. Candlewick Publications.

Animal fantasy is often based on a silly story with impossible conversations between one animal and another or between an animal and a human. What makes these special are the lessons learned in the story. Older animal stories are usually in the fable genre. Through events in the story the reader learns predictable rules that will lead to good outcomes. The moral of the story helps us to live our best lives. For this review, I am thinking of a wonderful story in a make-believe kingdom with impossible dialog between animals and people. In the The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo, the  storyline will keep the reader enthralled from beginning to end.  The protagonist is about 2 inches in height weighing 2 ounces. The female in need of rescue is a lovely human princess with a not-so-smart servant girl. The antagonists are about as ugly a lot as you can imagine. In a word, they are a bunch of rats—not figuratively but for real. The vocabulary is rich, but words are just the right levels for elementary school readers. It is an interesting mix of appealing descriptions for an adult with the simplicity needed for a younger reader. Lessons learned follow the same pattern, simple ideas needed for a happy life filled with contentment but learned, only through the complexities of a heart that is truly alive. Forgiveness is essential. Perseverance and courage are humorously lived out in the lives of mice and humans who come together for one of the greatest stories in the world of children’s literature. The hero and heroine learn some very important lessons based on the Christian tradition of forgiveness, brotherly love, kindness, self-sacrifice, and perseverance. The Tale of Despereaux  will lead you through tunnels of doom leading to the joy that can only be learned by a tiny mouse in love with a human princess!

Create a maze with circles and loops leading from the banquet room in the castle, through the tunnels and leading back again to the royal supper table.

The Tale of Despereaux  is written in a way that fantasy comes to life. The narrow tunnels in the dungeon, the glitter of the palace, the sad, poor servant girl, all come to life through DiCamillo’s rich narrative. It is a perfect read aloud for the elementary classroom. Here are some activities that could be used with listeners or readers.

Using chart paper, have children to dictate a new story using a different animals. For example, kitten and mountain lions, or butterflies and crows. How would the story change?

Start a discussion on Mia, the servant girl. Why does the reader feel sorry for the girl? What makes her character tragic?

Despereaux was a true hero. Do you have someone in your life that is a hero or heroine? How are they like Despereaux?

Create a wordsearch using words that describe all the characters in the story. Here are some starter words:  patient, kind, mean, hungry, selfish, brave, etc. Your puzzle should have about 20 words.

This wonderful book is writtten by Kate DiCamillo. Like most creative and talented people she is a free spirit. How else would a write be able to produce works of beauty, energy, and authenticity. Hear Hear Kate’s Interview here (Teachingbooks.net)