Pat Mora, Author Beacon Press (MA) $16 (160p) ISBN 978-0-8070-6829-8
The title poem's explicit treatment of a sister's rape sets a tone of guilt and moral responsibility that dominates Levin's first collection. The poem's ironic refrain, ""While my younger sister lies...,"" refers to her sister's lying prostrate,...
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Pat Mora, Author Beacon Press (MA) $24 (324p) ISBN 978-0-8070-7200-4
Mora's poetic biography reads like fiction--it is a cacophony of sound, a prism of light, a lattice of memories that is sometimes magical. It is a family portrait spilling over the framework of a house, ""la casa de casas."" Although the address...
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Pat Mora, Author, Maya Itzna Brooks, Illustrator Orchard Books (NY) $14.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-531-09477-8
In this Guatemalan variation on the tortoise-and-hare fable, the laurels go not to virtuous persistence but to crafty teamwork. When Venado, an overconfident deer, challenges the mischievous toad Sapo to a running contest, Sapo enlists the help of...
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Pat Mora, Author, Magaly Morales, Illustrator , illus. by Magaly Morales. Clarion $16 (28p) ISBN 978-0-618-84198-1
Spanish phrases pepper the traditional carol as a joyful child experiences the holiday. On the third day of Christmas, the girl's “amiga” gives her “tres tamalitos,” which sit steaming in an earthen pot, and on the sixth
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Pat Mora and Libby Martinez, illus. by Patrice Barton. Knopf, $16.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-307-93181-8
Drawing from family history, Mora (The Beautiful Lady) and her daughter Martinez tell the story of a girl named Libby, whose 80-year-old Mexican-born great-aunt, Lobo, becomes a U.S. citizen. Libby proudly announces to her class that Lobo passed her
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Pat Mora and Libby Martinez, illus. by Amelia Lau Carling. Groundwood (PGW, dist.), $17.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-55498-343-8
Chico Canta, the youngest of 12 mouse siblings, saves the day thanks to his ability to “speak” Dog, proving just how important being multilingual can be. The father-daughter team of Mora and Martinez adapt their story from a Mexican folktale, and...
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Pat Mora, illus. by Meilo So. Lee & Low/Children’s Book Press, $18.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-89239-325-1
In a bilingual tribute to water with a truly global scope, Mora’s (I Pledge Allegiance) verse and So’s (Brush of the Gods) spare mixed-media illustrations swing from placid to tempestuous, creating an effective and fitting ebb and flow. A...
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Pat Mora, illus. by Raul Colón. Lee & Low, $18.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-62014-286-8
In this collection of loosely themed poems, including some previously published selections, Mora (Book Fiesta) expresses her full-on love of language and everything it can create—from libraries full of books (“We belong together,/ books and me/ like
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Pat Mora, Author, David Frampton, Illustrator , illus. by David Frampton. Eerdmans $16 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8028-5253-3
Mora (This Big Sky
) praises in poetry Saint Francis' calming way of communing with creatures great and small in this celebratory picture book, made all the more joyous by Frampton's (The Whole Night Through
) handsome colored woodcuts....
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Pat Mora, trans. into the Spanish by Gabriela Baeza Ventura, illus. by Robert Casilla. Arte Público/Piñata, $17.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-55885-805-3
In a tender story, Mora imagines the origins of el Día de los Muertos in a village in “the land now called Mexico.” An aging grandmother and her granddaughter work in a garden, reminiscing about their time together. Explaining how “our bodies do not
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Pat Mora, Author, Beatriz Vidal, Illustrator , illus. by Beatriz Vidal. Knopf $15.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-375-80643-8
Mora (Tomás and the Library Lady) concisely traces the rise of spirited Juana Inés from inquisitive youngster to a 17th-century Mexican scholar. Insatiably curious Juana, age three, follows her older sister to school and asks to join the
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Pat Mora, Author, Steve Jenkins, Illustrator , illus. by Steve Jenkins. Scholastic $5.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-439-40070-1
In a starred review, PW
wrote, "Mora celebrates America's vast, otherworldly Southwest in 14 poems that will delight readers with their playfully evocative images. Jenkins offers cut-paper art in tones that reflect the sun-baked region."
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Pat Mora, Author, Raul Colon, Illustrator Alfred A. Knopf $18.99 (0p) ISBN 978-0-679-94173-6
Inspired by the true story of Tom s Rivera, who became president of the University of California, this tale portrays the son of migrant workers, who finds joy reading in libraries. Also published by Scholastic in 1997. Available in English.
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Pat Mora, Author, Daniel Lechon, Illustrator Pinata Books $15.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-55885-121-4
With the simplest of words, Mora (Listen to the Desert/Oye al desierto) invokes the grand powers of the desert. A girl with long, dark hair narrates: ""I say feed me. She serves red prickly pear on a spiked cactus.... I say frighten me. She shouts...
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In each spread of this paean to the desert, its various treasures—among them a toad, coyote, rain dance and wind—all get a rhythmic, drum-like phrase, repeated in English and Spanish, plus a soft watercolor rendering. Ages 3-7. (Mar.)
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Pat Mora, Author, Amelia Lau Carling, Illustrator Groundwood Books $18.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-88899-717-3
PreSchool-Grade 2-After her family moves to the mountains of New Mexico and Amelia learns about the local legend of ""Los abuelos,"" her brother succeeds in using it to frighten her. The legend-which bears some similarities to that of the well-known
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Pat Mora, Author, Amelia Lau Carling, Illustrator , illus. by Amelia Lau Carling. Groundwood $18.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-88899-716-6
Mora (The Night the Moon Fell/ La noche que se cayó la luna
) introduces the intriguing midwinter New Mexican festival of “los abuelos” in this playful tale. The narrator, Amelia, is about to experience the spooky-sounding...
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Pat Mora, Author, Cecily Lang, Illustrator MacMillan Publishing Company $16 (32p) ISBN 978-0-02-767400-2
The young narrator of this poignant picture book discovers that the best gifts are not always store-bought. Cecilia is stumped when it comes to getting a present for her great aunt's 90th birthday. She finally settles on filling a basket with...
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Pat Mora, Author, Domi, Illustrator Groundwood Books $15.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-88899-435-6
K-Gr 2-In this delightful retelling of a Mayan myth, readers can appreciate the elements of other universal folktales, such as the trickster and the tortoise and the hare. Mora retells the tale she heard from an Itzaj Mayan bricklayer working on...
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Pat Mora, illus. by Alyssa Bermudez. Magination, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-433830-21-1
Billy adores his Nana, who wears a belted vest in Bermudez’s colorful art. He loves baking cherry empanadas alongside her, listening to her sing, and putting on shows together for their family and friends. As they prepare for their “best show ever,”
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