Book Cover Image:
Book Summary:
Tomas leaves his home in Texas with his family to travel to Iowa again where his parent work on a farm during the summer. His grandfather and brother are also with them on this trip and during the hottest part of the day, Tomas would ask his grandfather to tell him stories. He loved to hear his grandfather tell stories in Spanish and he believed he was the best storyteller. One afternoon his grandfather tells Tomas that there are more stories like his in libraries and that he is old enough to go there by himself and find more stories to tell the family. The next morning he heads to the library and he meets the librarian who helps him find books about dinosaurs and tigers. The librarian allows Tomas to check out two of the books to bring home and share with his family. His family listened to Tomas read them the stories from inside of his books. Tomas loved books and looked for books anywhere that he could and would spend days in the library reading new books to himself or the librarian and teaching the librarian Spanish and his evenings reading to his family. At the end of the summer, Tomas has to say goodbye to the library and the librarian, and thanks her for letting him read all of the books.
APA Reference of Book:
Mora, P. (1997). Tomas and the library lady. New York, Ny: Alfred K. Knopf, Inc.
Impressions:
This is a great story of how a librarian can influence the patrons that walk through the library doors on a daily basis. What makes this story even better is that Tomas Rivera was a real person who was really influenced by a librarian in Iowa to read which greatly influenced his love of reading. The illustrations of the book are very well done that support the text of the story without overpowering it. It was very interesting to see the illustrations where Tomas is reading to his family and there is a dinosaur or a tiger from the book he is reading in the background of the illustration.
Professional Review:
Ages 4-8. From the immigrant slums of New York City to the fields of California, it's an elemental American experience: the uprooted child who finds a home in the library. Mora's story is based on a true incident in the life of the famous writer Tomas Rivera, the son of migrant workers who became an education leader and university president. Far from his home in Texas, the small boy is working with his family picking corn in Iowa. Inspired by the Spanish stories his grandfather (Papa Grande) tells, Tomas goes to the library to find more stories. The librarian welcomes him into the cool, quiet reading room and gives him books in English that he reads to himself and to his family. He teaches her some Spanish words. Then, as in so many migrant stories, the boy must leave the home he has found. He has a new, sad word for her, "adios. It means goodbye." Colon's beautiful scratchboard illustrations, in his textured, glowingly colored, rhythmic style, capture the warmth and the dreams that the boy finds in the world of books. The pictures are upbeat; little stress is shown; even in the fields, the kids could be playing kick ball or listening to stories. Perhaps the most moving picture is that of the child outside the library door, his face pressed against the pane. In contrast is the peaceful space he finds inside, where he is free to imagine dinosaurs and wild adventure.
Rochman, H. (1997, August). Tomas and the library lady.Booklist, 93(22), 1905. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/
Library Uses:
Have an event at the library for elemetary aged children where a member of the library staff reads them Tomas and the Library Lady, and afterward talks with them about sharing a book or story with their family. Have a few members of the library staff available to help the children locate books that they would like to check out and share with their families at home.
No comments:
Post a Comment