RECOGNITIONS

Christopher Award Medal
NCSS/CBC Notable Book in the Field of Social Studies
Pick of the Lists – American Book Sellers Association
Center for Latin American Studies, America’s Commended List

BOOK DESCRIPTION

This Christopher Medal winner has already become a classic. While it reads as a folktale it is an original story. Trying to steal Doña Josefa’s gold, Juan follows this generous curandera through the countryside. In the process, he is affected by the beauty of the natural world around him, the goodwill of the people who work the fields, and the spirit of the healer he is pursuing. Neil Waldman’s poetic watercolors sensitively convey the beauty and diversity of the Central American landscape, as well as the inner transformation that Juan undergoes.

CD DESCRIPTION

This CD contains the reading of both The Gold Coin and La moneda de oro. At the end of each reading I tell how the story came to be. Just as in recording some of my other favorite stories, Jordi’s Star, The Malachite Palace, and The Unicorn of the West it was a very meaningful experience for me to read aloud these books, to choose the music to accompany the reading, and to share after each recording the story of the creation of each book.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

This was my first book published in English by a major American publisher. I owe my daughter, Rosalma Zubizarreta, for the encouragement to pursue many publishers until one was willing to publish the story. Without her enthusiasm for this story, which she wanted to see in the hands of every child in the United States and her gentle support after each rejection, the book would probably had been published abroad, in Spanish, and probably never reach the wide audiences it has reached.

The story was born one night, while returning home to the San Francisco Bay Area, after working with migrant farm-working parents in the Watsonville-Salinas area. It appeared in front of my eyes, as if it were a movie, and I saw the characters acting and speaking the whole story. When I arrived home I jotted down the whole story before falling asleep. The next morning it all seemed like a dream, but the pages were there, with the full text.

It has been an immense joy that Rosalma’s wishes materialized, as the book has been included in most major reading series and in many reading lists. The letters I have received from children and adolescents about this book are very moving and I have enjoyed visiting many classes which had read the book where we have talked about our personal richness, and students have shown their understanding of true values.

Probably the most extraordinary experience in connection with this book was to attend the performance staged by Sylvia Dorta-Duque de Reyes (San Diego County Office of Education) of The Gold Coin performed by students in the main plaza of the Zapotec village of Teotitlán del Valle in Oaxaca.

REVIEWS

Publishers Weekly

An elderly woman, Dona Josefa, sits in her hut, holding a gold coin. “I must be the richest woman in the world,” she says to herself. But unbeknownst to her, a thief, Juan, crouches at her window, watching and listening. When Dona Josefa leaves, Juan ransacks the hut but fails to find her treasure. Tracking the woman across the countryside, he misses her again and again–coming instead upon many people who have been helped by her. And when the thief finally does catch up with her, he is surprised to find that he, too, has been touched by her simple goodness. Set in South America, this beautifully designed book features an unusual, rewarding fable and Waldman’s ( Nessa’s Fish ) lovely, stylized watercolors. It’s a rich collaboration, worthy of repeated readings. Ages 5–8.

School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3: Juan has been a thief for many years. He is pale and bent from creeping about at night, and that’s what he’s doing the night he peeks into Dona Josefa’s hut. She is holding a gold coin and says that she must be the richest woman in the world. Then and there, Juan determines to steal that coin, and any others she may have. It is a decision that changes Juan’s life forever. This gentle story of redemption, ably translated by Randall, is structurally at once cumulative and circular, and is ideally suited for memorization and telling. It will work well as a read-aloud, too. Waldman’s clean, pale watercolors have an art nouveau feel, and are large enough to be seen at story times. Whether told, read to a group, or shared one-on-one, the tale of Juan’s search for an old woman’s treasure makes an important point in a concise and satisfying manner. –Ann Welton, Univ. Child Development School, Seattle.

Hungry Mind Review

“The Gold Coin takes the integration of story and illustration to the level of fine art. With marks of a classic fable, this original tale by Alma Flor Ada describes the changes in a thief as he mistakenly pursues the golden treasure of a “curandera” or traditional healer. In graceful prose Ada presents a series of adventures, each ending with the gold just out of reach of the thief. The episodes proceed in a tension and release rhythm; gradually Juan the thief is transformed through kindness. “Later, when the little girl took him by the hand to show him a family of rabbits burrowed under a fallen tree, Juan’s face broke into a smile. It had been a long, long time since Juan had smiled.” Neil Waldman’s illustrations are magnificent. The text is printed on photographed watercolor paper, and each page is tinted in a rainbow wash. Strong graphic elements unite facing pages. Postage stamp-size drawings hint at the next part of the story. The full-page watercolor paintings gradually reveal more subtle facial features as the thief opens his heart to those around him. Of the four books [reviewed in this article] The Gold Coin exhibits the strongest unity of text and illustration, a synthesis equaled by few books of any genre. Each book however, gives us a view of life drawn from within the culture of la Raza. These authentic points of view will help increase awareness and appreciation of the beauty of the cultures at the heart of the Americas.” (Hungry Mind Review. Fall, 1991) .

School Library Journal

“[…] This gentle story of redemption, ably translated by Randall, is structurally at once cumulative and circular, and ideally suited for memorization and telling. It will work well as a read-aloud, too. Waldman’s clean, pale watercolors have an art nouveau feel, and are large enough to be seen at story times. Whether told, read to a group, or shared one-to-one the tale of Juan’s search for an old woman’s treasure makes an important point in a concise and satisfying manner.” –Ann Welton, Univ. Child Development School. Seattle, School Library Journal, April, 1991.

Kirkus Review

“Juan, a confirmed thief, overhears Doña Josefa referring to herself as “the richest person in the world”; moreover, he sees a gold coin in her hand. But before he can steal it, she hurries away with the two men, leaving nothing of value that he can find in her humble hut. Juan follows her trail, only to discover that she has always gone on another errand of mercy just before he arrives. The people she’s helped are willing to lead him to her –but each time there is work to be finished first, and Juan (hoping to hurry his guide) joins in. As he labors and shares food with these humble folk, Juan becomes healthier in body and mind; still, when he finally catches up with Doña Josefa, he demands her gold. She gives it to him freely –thus completing his moral transformation: he returns it as a gift for the next patient. Like a folk tale, this original story builds naturally to its satisfying conclusion; its long text should appeal well beyond the picture-book age. Waldman’s watercolors, with stylized forms displayed against varying backgrounds of romantic sunset hues, gently suggest both the story’s universal tone and its Latin American setting.” (Kirkus Review. January 1, 1991)

The Reading Teacher

“An unlikely friendship and a new perspective on life emerge in The Gold Coin, a picture book by Alma Flor Ada. […] Students laughed at the frustrated thief but were moved by the outcome of the story and the thief discovery that friendship is a greater treasure than gold. They spoke enthusiastically about Neil Waldman’s full-page, pastel illustrations. (The Reading Teacher. Vol. 47, No.1. September, 1993).

VOCABULARY ACTIVITY

Created by Sherylanne Wesley

Write the sentence from the book with the word in it so that you can see how the word is used in context. Then write the definition. Finally, create a sentence of your own using the word (at least 5 words in each sentence).
ransacked
amiably
vague
stifling
insistent
deserted

Image Gallery

READERS’ RESPONSES

Bilingual Anthology of Folklore for Young Children

RECOGNITIONS

Notable Book in the area of Language Arts by National Book Council
Best Ten Books for Babies, Beginning with Books, Center for Early Literacy
Best Book of the Year, Nick Jr. Magazine
Media Award, Parent’s Guide to Children’s Media
100 Titles for Reading and Sharing, New York Public Library
Books of the Year Award, Parenting Magazines
2 x 2 Reading List, Texas Library Association
Starred Review, School Library Journal
Starred Review, Críticas
Miami Herald Best Books of the Year

BOOK DESCRIPTION

El sol es de oro
la luna es de plata
y las estrellitas
son de hoja de lata.

The sun’s a gold medallion
The moon’s a silver ball.
The little stars are only tin;
I love them best of all.

Here is a groundbreaking bilingual collection of traditional rhymes that celebrates childhood and Spanish and Latin American heritage. From playing dress up to making tortillas, and from rising at daybreak to falling asleep, these joyful rhymes are sure to delight young readers.

Passed down from generation to generation, the twenty-nine rhymes included have been lovingly selected by distinguished authors Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy. English adaptations by Alice Schertle capture the spirit of each rhyme and have a charm all their own. Accompanied by enchanting illustrations by Spanish artist Viví Escrivá, this collection is destined to become a beloved classic for children already familiar with the rhymes as well as those encountering them for the first time.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

The treasuries of the folklore, whether rhymes, riddles, songs or tongue twisters were precious gifts in my childhood. In gratitude for the joy they gave me I have tried to share them in multiple forms, within poetry anthologies, like Días y días de poesía, Gorrión gorrión, and in books, like Mama Goose, MooMuu, Merry Navidad and many others. I have written about my childhood experiences with these folk traditions in the book Pin Pin Sarabín. I hope you find as much joy sharing this book as I had during its compilation.

REVIEWS

School Library Journal

Pre-School–Grade 2: Following in the tradition of Margot Griego’s Tortillitas para Mama (Holt, 1995) and Jose-Luis Orozco’s Diez deditos (Dutton, 1997) comes this stellar collection of nursery rhymes. Selected from the rich oral tradition of Latin America and the American Southwest, most of the verses are known throughout the Spanish-speaking world. The rhymes cover everything from early morning birds to elephants to angels, and the reason for their enduring popularity is clear. Deeply rhythmic verses, compelling rhyme schemes, and words that “play trippingly on the tongue” characterize every verse. Schertle’s excellent English adaptations are not literal translations but poetic re-creations. They retain the rhythm, meter, and general meaning of the originals, making the rhymes as memorable and memorizable in English as they are in Spanish. Escriv ‘s watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations use brilliant hues and detail to reconstruct a young child’s world. Certain to become a staple for preschool and early elementary programs, this offering is also a wonderful, reassuring lap book. A must-purchase for libraries. © 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Booklist

PreSchool: As the preface to this delightful book states, nursery rhymes and songs are an important part of Spanish oral folklore. The 29 rhymes here–some accompanied by finger plays or games, and some simply meant to be chanted on their own–in most cases came to the Americas from Spain. They are presented both in Spanish and in English, although “to preserve the charm of the original rhymes,” the English versions are not translations but “poetic recreations.” Even adult readers with a rudimentary knowledge of Spanish will see some of the differences, but both versions have a sweet, rhythmic simplicity that will get children singing, clapping, and perhaps making some forays into a new language. The watercolor illustrations, featured prominently on the page, are a mix of historical and contemporary, generic Latin American scenes, and pictures of animals (not Escriva’s artistic strong suit). Parents, teachers, and librarians will find a multitude of uses. –Ilene Cooper.

Grandma’s Book Letter

GRANDMA RECOMMENDS… FOR BABIES AND TODDLERS:
¡Pío Peep! Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes, selected by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy.

The authors tell us that Spanish oral folklore is rich in nursery rhymes and songs, some are fragments of ancient medieval ballads while others are old harvest songs. Ada and Campoy have gathered some of the best known and most loved rhymes in this lively bilingual edition.

…

Give the gift of another culture to wee ones this season with a bilingual bedtime reading of “Pio Peep: Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes.” Vivi Escriva catches the eye with bright watercolors while Alice Schertle preserves the sing-song sound as the 29 rhymes move from Spanish to English. The result of one translation is, “Rice Pudding / rice pudding / it’s married I’ll be / I’ll find in the city / the right girl for me.” — Linda Piwowarczyk

Great Kids Books

I really enjoy sharing poetry and stories from other cultures with young children. Here is a wonderful collection of traditional Spanish nursery rhymes and songs, in both Spanish and English. It’s perfect for toddlers and young children, but would also be great to explore with slightly older children who are leaning Spanish… More »

READERS’ RESPONSES

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JwecWt24UE

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