The artful blend of photography and text combine to provide a poignant glimpse into the lives of two young Latina women, Cindy Chavez and Suzan Preito, as they ceremoniously enter adulthood. King (The Pumpkin Patch, 1990, etc.) chronicles the preparations leading up to two girls’ quincea§eras, a coming-of-age ceremony that takes place around a girl’s 15th birthday. She skillfully conveys both the excitement and solemnity of the occasion, examining the many details involved in such an event: the significance of the vestido, or dress, pastel (cake), and recuerdos (mementos); the mastering of the steps of the vals (waltz); choosing a church for the Mass. The candid full-color images explore the moments that define such an event—from a barely patient younger brother waiting in the car to spectacular shots of the exquisite interior of the mission where the Mass is said. Readers realize, through the narrative and photography, that the families put considerable care and love into this rite of passage. With plenty of historical background, and also available in Spanish (0-525-45844-1), this has appeal for a wide audience. (Nonfiction. 10-15)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-525-45638-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1998
Koller (Bouncing on the Bed, p. 143, etc.) portrays a Narragansett nickommoh, or celebratory gathering, from which it is very likely the tradition of Thanksgiving was drawn. As explained in an exemplary note—brief, clear, interesting—at the end of the book, these gatherings occurred 13 times a year, once each lunar month. The harvest gathering is one of the larger gatherings: a great lodge was built, copious food was prepared, and music and dance extended deep into the night. Koller laces the text with a good selection of Narragansett words, found in the glossary (although there is no key to pronunciation, even for words such as Taqountikeeswush and Puttuckquapuonck). The text is written as a chanted prose poem, with much repetition, which can be both incantatory and hackneyed, as when “frost lies thick on the fields at dawn, and the winged ones pass overhead in great numbers.” Mostly the phrases are stirring—as are Sewall’s scratchboard evocations—and often inspirational—for this nickommoh puts to shame what has become known as the day before the launch of the holiday shopping season. (Picture book. 6-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-689-81094-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Mama God, Papa God ($15.95; Apr. 26; 32 pp.; 1-56656-307-0): The creation story takes a whimsical Caribbean turn in a seamless blend of religion and folk-art set in Haiti. Tired of living in darkness, Papa God creates light, then goes on to make the world as a beautiful gift for Mama God. Together, they design a detailed world filled with brilliance, love, and humor. Highly stylized illustrations rich in primary colors show the progress of creation as animals, birds, water, fish, wind, and rain take their place in the world. This unusual rendition of the creation tale sings to a calypso beat and gives a strikingly different and exuberant interpretation of how the world began. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: April 26, 1999
ISBN: 1-56656-307-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Interlink
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
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