The Butter Man

The Butter Man

Written by: Elizabeth Alalou and Ali Alalou
Illustrated by: Julie Klear Essakali

"Every Saturday night, Nora watches her Moroccan-born baba (father) prepare a couscous meal in a special pot that he carried with him to the U.S. in his suitcase. One evening, Baba shares a story about how he coped with a famine during his childhood, spent in the mountains of Morocco. The authors, a married couple who drew on Ali’s personal experience, write in descriptive language that speaks directly to children. Baba says that hunger, for example, feels like “a little mouse gnawing on my insides.” The folk-art paintings, created by a textile designer, feature whimsical characters and cozy domestic scenes, while the ochre, gold, and rust palette evokes the feeling of the dusty, sunlit landscape. An authors’ note adds cultural context, and an appended glossary defines the Berber words used in the text. This warm family story about a rarely viewed culture will have particular appeal among children of immigrants, who, like Nora, wonder about their parents’ mysterious, former lives in another land."

Booklist Review

Online Resources:
http://www.elizabethletts.com/butter.php

Dear Primo, A Letter to My Cousin

Dear Primo, A Letter to My Cousin

Written and Illustrated by: Duncan Tonatiuh

**2011 Pura Belpre Honor Book**

"From first-time Mexican author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh comes the story of two cousins, one in America and one in Mexico, and how their daily lives are different yet similar. Charlie takes the subway to school; Carlitos rides his bike. Charlie plays in fallen leaves; Carlitos plays among the local cacti. Dear Primo covers the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of two very different childhoods, while also emphasizing how alike Charlie and Carlitos are at heart. Spanish words are scattered among the English text, providing a wonderful way to introduce the language and culture of Mexico to young children. Inspired by the ancient art of the Mixtecs and other cultures of Mexico, Tonatiuh incorporates their stylized forms into his own artwork."

Publishers Description

Online Resources:
http://duncantonatiuh.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/dear-primo/

¡Sí, Se Puede! / Yes, We Can!

¡Sí, Se Puede! / Yes, We Can!

Written by: Diana Cohn
Illustrated by: Francisco Delgado

"¡Sí, Se Puede! / Yes, We Can! is a bilingual fictional story set against the backdrop of the successful janitors’ strike in Los Angeles in 2000. It tells about Carlitos, whose mother is a janitor. Every night, he sleeps while his mother cleans in one of the skyscrapers in downtown L.A. When she comes home, she waves Carlitos off to school before she goes to sleep. One night, his mamá explains that she can’t make enough money to support him and his abuelita the way they need unless she makes more money as a janitor. She and the other janitors have decided to go on strike.

How will Carlitos support his mother? Carlitos wants to help but he cannot think of a way until his teacher, Miss Lopez, explains in class how her own grandfather had fought for better wages for farmworkers when he first came to the United States. He and the other children in his class join the marchers with a very special sign for his mom!"

Publishers Synopsis

Online Resources:
http://www.dreamcarver.org/sisepuede.php
http://www.seiu.org/division/property-services/justice-for-janitors/

Rin, Rin, Rin, Do, Re, Mi

Rin, Rin, Rin, Do, Re, Mi

Written by: Jose-Luis Orozco
Illustrated by: David Diaz

"This lively bilingual Spanish-English picture book depicts how everyday family activities such as cooking, singing, and storytelling prepare children for reading and life."

Publishers Synopsis

Online Resources:
http://www.joseluisorozco.com/

A Day's Work

A Day's Work

Written by: Eve Bunting
Illustrated by: Ronald Himler

"Francisco, trying to find work for his grandfather, or abuelo, who has just arrived from Mexico, acts as a liaison between Abuelo, who doesn't speak English, and Ben, who wants to hire a gardener for a day's work. Eager to earn the badly needed pay, Francisco assures Ben that his grandfather is a skilled gardener (Abuelo is in fact a carpenter). Returning at the end of the day, Ben is shocked to discover that Francisco and Abuelo stripped his field of the plants and left the weeds. Abuelo is also angered, learning only now that Francisco had lied to Ben, and refuses payment until they have done the job correctly.

Recognizing the older man's integrity, Ben rewards Abuelo and Francisco with the promise of "more than just one day's work." Says Ben of the plants: "The roots are still there. If they've replanted early, they'll be alright." Similarly, Francisco is given a chance to start over. He changes from a naively parental figure to a child who "had begun to learn the important things." The shift in the boy's role quietly suggests not only the importance of a work ethic but also Francisco's need to be a child, guided by a caring adult."

Publishers Weekly Review

Online Resources:
http://www.mrscarosclass.com/eve_bunting.htm

In My Family

In My Family

Written and Illustrated by: Carmen Lomas Garza

Available in English and Spanish

Taken from the introduction of In My Family: "When I was growing up, a lot of us were punished for speaking Spanish. We were punished for being who we were, and we were made to feel ashamed of our culture. That was very wrong. My art is a way of healing these wounds."

This is a very touching auto-biographical story told in pictures of how the author dealt with cultural issues related to growing up in a Mexican-American community in Texas. If you loved her first book, Family Pictures, you'll love sharing more of the stories and images that remain so vividly in Carmen's memory, and that have influenced so much of her art.

Winner of the Pura Belpre Honor Book, 1997
Texas Bluebonnett Master List, 1997-1998

A Castle on Viola Street

A Castle on Viola Street

Written and Illustrated by: DyAnne Di Salvo-Ryan

"Andy is so used to his family's small, run-down apartment that he has never imagined living anywhere else--especially not in a new house with a garden and a porch. Such houses seem like castles to him.

But when he hears about an organization that turns abandoned houses into homes, he discovers that his castle isn't in the clouds--it's on Viola Street. And with some hard work and community caring, it could be his very own.

DyAnne DiSalvo combines new faces with familiar ones from earlier stories in this warm, vibrant tale about the good things that come when a whole family pitches in to make a better life for themselves."

Publishers Description

Online Resources:
http://treasures.macmillanmh.com/national/students/grade3/book2/unit6/a-castle-on-viola-street

Families

Families

Written By: Ann Morris

"Morris celebrates the concept of family. She includes many of the different forms a family can take--large or small, traditional or single-parent, foster, or biological. All are represented in this book. The text clearly and simply explains that what makes a family a special unit is that its members love each other, have fun together, and are there to help each other."

Kirkus Reviews