School Library Journal Review
Gr 3 Up-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.-Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Happy Mother's Day A dozen poems pay homage to mothers as well as abuelitas (grandmothers) in Love to Mam : A Tribute to Mothers edited by Pat Mora, illus. by Paula S. Barrag n M. "Las abuelitas" by Virgil Su rez conjures images of life in Cuba with metaphors that link gourds, pi¤atas and maracas. Francisco X. Alarc¢n's "My Grandma Is Like a Flowering Cactus/Mi abuelita es como un nopal en flor," set off as bilingual bookends to a festive-bright illustration of grandmother and grandson, offers readers an opportunity to hear the exquisite rhymes in their original language. The artwork, computer-enhanced images of cut-paper collage with thick black outlines, plays up the verdant greens of lush oceanside settings and Cuban landscapes while also conveying the warmth between the generations. ( Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
(Primary, Intermediate) Writes Virgil Su¯rez in his poem ""Las abuelitas"": ""Las abuelitas cup their hands / to our ears like those dark gourds, / inside each, a little whisper / of our abuelitas' lives in Cuba."" The intersection of Latin culture and the New World is the subject of some of these jubilant poems saluting mothers and grandmothers. The offerings, which are penned by thirteen well-known and emerging Latino writers (the youngest contributor is fifteen), are narrative and impressionistic, speckled with Spanish, and by turns romantic, nostalgic, sentimental, heartbreaking, and humorous in mood. Music, clothing, and especially food are recurrent themes, as in Mimi Chapra's ""Mi mam¯ cubana"": ""Sf sf, with eyes open I taste salty, saffron Cuba. / Muchas gracias, mam¯ cubana, for cooking up an island / in your tiny New York kitchen."" The mixed-media illustrations by Ecuadorian artist Barrag¯n are mural-like in scale and drenched with color, predominantly oranges, blues, violets, and greens that capture each poem's temperament and setting. Barrag¯n tends to take concrete details from the poems+a mother's skirt, a grandmother's arms, a cooking pot+and exaggerate them to reflect their thematic importance. The result is a visual feast of textures, patterns, and hues. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
The warmth of family life, especially that of mothers, aunts, and grandmothers, pervades this delightful collection of poems by Latino writers from various national backgrounds. Some are funny, such as The Race, by Jennifer Trujillo, which tells the story of a great-grandmother who as a young girl won a horse race against all the fancy caballeros; and some bring tears, such as Carmen D. Luccas I Helped My Mom Not to Be Late for Work. Although the voices are Latino, the poems and the experiences they encompass will speak to all. As poet Rane Arroyo says, Two languages make you a rich man. Spanish words are freely sprinkled throughout the book, which includes a glossary and pronunciation key. Some of the contributors are long-time writers, but one is as young as 15. Ecuadorian illustrator Barragáns bold illustrations (pencil, cut paper, and gouache, with some extra computer enhancement) are colorful and cheerful with contagious pink-lipped smiles on her characters. Handsome patterns reflect her background as a graphic artist and carpet designer. Abrazos (hugs) for Mora and all the contributors for this one. (authors note, biographical sketches) (Picture book/poetry. 5-10)
Booklist Review
Ages 4^-9. Lots of food, hugs, kisses, and endearments, in Spanish and English, fill the 13 poems in this anthology that celebrates Latina mothers and grandmothers. 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. Rane Arroyo's "My Tongue Is Like a Map" is about the riches of bilingualism. Rigoberto Gonzalez's "Abuelita Wears a Dress" is reminiscent of a Cinderella story: Grandmother shocks everyone when she changes from the jeans and boots she wears in the grape fields into a shimmering gray gown for a quinceanera celebration. 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. --Hazel Rochman
