The Pura Belpré Award is presented annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.
Mora, P. (2009). Book fiesta. New York, NY: HarperCollins Children's Books.
Children’s Picture Book: English/Spanish. April 30th is celebrated in Mexico as The Day of the Children. But what if, thought author Pat Mora, we add books to the party as well and celebrate both! This festive book relates all the fun and excitement books provide, drawing the reader to all the places one can read and all the people that can join us. A mixture of fantasy and realism, the young child can’t help but view books as a special treat to be enjoyed. The complete narrative, in addition to the author’s note and suggestions for celebrating a children’s book festival, are written in both English and Spanish. Rafael Lopez illustrates in joyful vibrant oils. View as an appropriate read aloud for ages 3-6 --especially useful for reading before a young child’s first visit to the school library, or of course, on April 30th. Awarded the Pura Belpre Award in 2010.
Johnston, T. (2009). My abuelita. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Children's Books.
Children’s Picture Book: Realistic. Primarily in English but sprinkled with Spanish, a little boy tells the story of living with his grandmother and Frida Kahlo, their cat. All the things they must do together as his abuelita prepares for work are related in rolling narrative with large doses of visually stimulating similes and metaphors (e.g. abuelita’s face is as crinkled as a dried chile). Grandma’s actual job remains a mystery to the very last page, but both Johnston and illustrator Yuyi Morales drop hints along the way. Morales' illustrations of the characters are actually hand-crafted puppets, photographed by Tim O’Meara and then digitally manipulated to appear as they do on the page. View as a wonderfully joyous and humorous read-aloud for children ages 4-8. The theme of family and the importance of laughter are present throughout the book. Awarded the Pura Belpre Award in 2010.
Bernier-Grand, C. (2009). Diego: Bigger than life. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Children.
Children’s Poetry: Biography. Each of Bernier-Grand’s short free-verse poems describes a period of Diego Rivera’s life. In all there are 32 poems, starting from Diego’s birth and ending in his death. In between we learn of his childhood, his studies in Europe, his marriages, and most importantly his artwork and murals. David Diaz illustrates each vignette complimenting both the mood and content. Both Rivera’s and Frida Kahlo’s paintings are included in the book, as well as a brief adult version of Rivera’s life, a timeline, glossary and index. The verse is lyrical but not always gentle, as it describes some of the rougher periods of Rivera’s passionate life. View as appropriate for older readers, ages 9-adult. Also view as a wonderful resource for an art-teacher wishing to impart a short snippet a day in art history. Awarded the Pura Belpre Award in 2010
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