Book Description

This book includes the biographies of three very different individuals, each a remarkable contributor to her/her society.

Playwright, screenwriter, and director Luis Valdez began his life as a farm worker but he held onto his dreams. Holding onto our dreams is one of the keys to success. Hop aboard as we accompany muralist Judith Francisca Baca, and the person who discovered the cause of yellow fever, and Doctor Carlos Juan Finlay, from their humble beginnings to their incredible accomplishments.

Author’s Note

José Martí, extraordinary writer and exceptional human being, liked to say “Honrar, honra” implying that when we honor those who deserve it, we somehow partake of the honor. His message that it is important to honor those who have open roads that we now travel has inspired this biography series.

Isabel and I would like children to realize that the people we admire earned that admiration as they faced life with courage and dignity, determined not to be stopped by difficulties, but consistently following their dreams.

It is our great hope that children will recognize that humble beginnings or physical limitations, while creating unquestionable challenges, should not be seen as impossible barriers, and that these biographies will be for them an inspiration.

Connections

There are ample references to the Migrant Farm Workers in my books, since working with Migrant Farm Working families has been one of the most significant aspects of my life.

Specifically connected to Luis Valdés work “Teatro campesino: ¡Qué florezca la luz!” en Imágenes del pasado is a reflection about the Teatro canpesino and the Migrant Farm Workers experience.

Gathering the Sun is an alphabet book of poems, written in honor of the Farm Workers. The book was illustrated by Simon Silva, who grew up on a farm workers family. The poems have been turned into powerful songs by Suni Paz, who recorded them for the CD of the same title.

The life of César Chávez is tied to the Migrant Farm Workers struggle. Thus an interesting connection could be established between the biography of Luis Valdés and that of Chávez which appears in Paths or Caminos, another book of this series.

Gathering the Sun/ Puertas al sol Collection Description

This collection highlights the genius, the tenacity and the achievement of Hispanic culture. For Hispanic readers, the collection promotes pride in their culture; for non-Hispanic readers, it fosters an appreciation and an acknowledgment of—and a respect for—Latinos. The collection comprises the following 6 series. Each book and journal is published in separate editions in English and in Spanish.

Poetry Series Gateways to the Sun

These poetry anthologies are divided in sections featuring poets from various countries from the Spanish speaking world. The sections open with original poems by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy celebrating the poets and the poet’s country of origin. Selected poems by the featured poet completes each section. The contribution of Latinos is acknowledged as well as that of the anonymous poets who created the rhymes of the traditional folklore, enriching our heritage.

Art Series Gateways to the Sun

A wide variety of genres, techniques, media, and historical events in Hispanic art are depicted in these oversize strikingly beautiful books. Each book includes reproductions of paintings selected from the best Hispanic artists of all times, from classical to contemporary. Each painting is accompanied by brief poetic readings.

Each book is paired with an interactive journal where children can learn more about art and begin their own artistic expressions.

Biography Series Gateways to the Sun

This series offers the biographies of twelve significant figures from various countries in the Spanish-speaking world, representing various fields and occupations. These historical and contemporary figures are role models, who overcame obstacles to make a difference in the world.

Theater Series Gateways to the Sun

Theatrical adaptations of well known stories and folktales as well as original plays are enhanced by beautiful art. The illustrations, by several Hispanic artists, suggest costumes, props and stage designs to help on the staging of the play

• Rat-a-Tat Cat | Teatro del gato Garabato
• Roll ‘n Role | Teatrín de don Crispín
• Top Hat | Escenario de Polichinela
• Curtains Up | Teatro de doña Rosita

Language Series Gateways to the Sun

These fractured fairy tales books bring new twists to the lives of well-loved characters from storybooks. They provide ample opportunities for language development as they use diverse forms of language.

• One, Two, Three… Who Can It Be? | Uno, dos, tres. ¡Dime, quién es?
• A New Home for the Seven Little Kids | El nuevo hogar de los siete cabritos
• Happy Birthday, Little Red Riding Hood | ¡Feliz cumpleaños, Caperucita Roja!
• A New Job for Pérez, the Mouse | Ratoncito Pérez, cartero

Hispanic Lands Series Gateways to the Sun

Three oversize books on the richness and diversity of the Spanish-speaking countries of the Americas. The poetic, but highly informative text, brings attention to the extraordinary achievement of the indigenous people. The striking illustrations are carefully designed by Maestro Felipe Dávalos. They offer ample information to support and enrich the text that reflects on the responses of human groups to the challenges of their environment, and emphasize respect towards diversity, environmental and ecological awareness, community involvement, and appreciation for education.

• The Quetzal’s Journey | El vuelo del quetzal
• On the Wings of the Condor | En alas del cóndor
• Eyes of the Jaguar | Ojos del jaguar

READERS’ RESPONSES

If you have enjoyed reading or sharing this book, I would very much like to hear from you. Please click here to send your comments.

Book Description

Children recognize that they can change the world through innovation and fairness. In this light they will appreciate the art of Pablo Picasso, who transformed the way in art was conceived and experienced. They will understand the role of Gabriela Mistral’s poetry and her determination to bring education to all children of the Spanish-speaking Americas and they will see justice in the fortitude and determination of Beanito Juárez.

Author’s Note

José Martí, extraordinary writer and exceptional human being, liked to say “Honrar, honra” implying that when we honor those who deserve it, we somehow partake of the honor. His message that it is important to honor those who have open roads that we now travel has inspired this biography series.

Isabel and I would like children to realize that the people we admire earned that admiration as they faced life with courage and dignity, determined not to be stopped by difficulties, but consistently following their dreams.
It is our great hope that children will recognize that humble beginnings or physical limitations, while creating unquestionable challenges, should not be seen as impossible barriers, and that these biographies will be for them an inspiration.

Connections

The three individuals whose biographies form this book have been very influential in my own development as well as Isabel’s, and thus, it is not surprising that they will reappear in many of our books.

Pablo Picasso – The art of Picasso can be found in Brush and Paint or Brocha y pincel, one of the art books of Gateways to the Sun or Puertas al sol.

Gabriela Mistral – Poems by Gabriela Mistral can be found in the anthologies Dulce es la sal, Nuevo día and Ríos de lava from Cielo abierto.

Additional poems can be found in the anthology Días y días de poesía organized in a calendar format with a poem for each day of the year.

Benito Juárez – The actions of Benito Juárez are celebrated in the book Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a Mexican Hat Dance or Celebra el Cinco de Mayo con un jarabe tapatío.

Gathering the Sun/ Puertas al sol Collection Description

This collection highlights the genius, the tenacity and the achievement of Hispanic culture. For Hispanic readers, the collection promotes pride in their culture; for non-Hispanic readers, it fosters an appreciation and an acknowledgment of—and a respect for—Latinos. The collection comprises the following 6 series. Each book and journal is published in separate editions in English and in Spanish.

Poetry Series Gateways to the Sun

These poetry anthologies are divided in sections featuring poets from various countries from the Spanish speaking world. The sections open with original poems by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy celebrating the poets and the poet’s country of origin. Selected poems by the featured poet completes each section. The contribution of Latinos is acknowledged as well as that of the anonymous poets who created the rhymes of the traditional folklore, enriching our heritage.

Art Series Gateways to the Sun

A wide variety of genres, techniques, media, and historical events in Hispanic art are depicted in these oversize strikingly beautiful books. Each book includes reproductions of paintings selected from the best Hispanic artists of all times, from classical to contemporary. Each painting is accompanied by brief poetic readings.

Each book is paired with an interactive journal where children can learn more about art and begin their own artistic expressions.

Biography Series Gateways to the Sun

This series offers the biographies of twelve significant figures from various countries in the Spanish-speaking world, representing various fields and occupations. These historical and contemporary figures are role models, who overcame obstacles to make a difference in the world.

Theater Series Gateways to the Sun

Theatrical adaptations of well known stories and folktales as well as original plays are enhanced by beautiful art. The illustrations, by several Hispanic artists, suggest costumes, props and stage designs to help on the staging of the play

• Rat-a-Tat Cat | Teatro del gato Garabato
• Roll ‘n Role | Teatrín de don Crispín
• Top Hat | Escenario de Polichinela
• Curtains Up | Teatro de doña Rosita

Language Series Gateways to the Sun

These fractured fairy tales books bring new twists to the lives of well-loved characters from storybooks. They provide ample opportunities for language development as they use diverse forms of language.

• One, Two, Three… Who Can It Be? | Uno, dos, tres. ¡Dime, quién es?
• A New Home for the Seven Little Kids | El nuevo hogar de los siete cabritos
• Happy Birthday, Little Red Riding Hood | ¡Feliz cumpleaños, Caperucita Roja!
• A New Job for Pérez, the Mouse | Ratoncito Pérez, cartero

Hispanic Lands Series Gateways to the Sun

Three oversize books on the richness and diversity of the Spanish-speaking countries of the Americas. The poetic, but highly informative text, brings attention to the extraordinary achievement of the indigenous people. The striking illustrations are carefully designed by Maestro Felipe Dávalos. They offer ample information to support and enrich the text that reflects on the responses of human groups to the challenges of their environment, and emphasize respect towards diversity, environmental and ecological awareness, community involvement, and appreciation for education.

• The Quetzal’s Journey | El vuelo del quetzal
• On the Wings of the Condor | En alas del cóndor
• Eyes of the Jaguar | Ojos del jaguar

READERS’ RESPONSES

If you have enjoyed reading or sharing this book, I would very much like to hear from you. Please click here to send your comments.

Book Description

This book includes the biographies of three very different individuals, each a remarkable contributor to her/her society.

Movie artist and singer Rita Moreno had very humble beginnings as a Puerto Rican child growing up in New York. She has worked very hard to achieve excellence in her art, and has received multiple honors including the best possible in her career the Oscar, Tony and Emmy awards.

Fernando Botero is an innovative painter and sculpture. His art is characterized by human figures of very large proportions which make his style very distinguishable.

Evelyn Cisneros achieved the success of becoming the first ballerina of the famous San Francisco Ballet as a result of a combination of her natural talent and grace and a life of study and practice.

Author’s Note

José Martí, extraordinary writer and exceptional human being, liked to say “Honrar, honra” implying that when we honor those who deserve it, we somehow partake of the honor. His message that it is important to honor those who have open roads that we now travel has inspired this biography series.

Isabel and I would like children to realize that the people we admire earned that admiration as they faced life with courage and dignity, determined not to be stopped by difficulties, but consistently following their dreams.

It is our great hope that children will recognize that humble beginnings or physical limitations, while creating unquestionable challenges, should not be seen as impossible barriers, and that these biographies will be for them an inspiration.

Gathering the Sun/ Puertas al sol Collection Description

This collection highlights the genius, the tenacity and the achievement of Hispanic culture. For Hispanic readers, the collection promotes pride in their culture; for non-Hispanic readers, it fosters an appreciation and an acknowledgment of—and a respect for—Latinos. The collection comprises the following 6 series. Each book and journal is published in separate editions in English and in Spanish.

Poetry Series Gateways to the Sun

These poetry anthologies are divided in sections featuring poets from various countries from the Spanish speaking world. The sections open with original poems by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy celebrating the poets and the poet’s country of origin. Selected poems by the featured poet completes each section. The contribution of Latinos is acknowledged as well as that of the anonymous poets who created the rhymes of the traditional folklore, enriching our heritage.

Art Series Gateways to the Sun

A wide variety of genres, techniques, media, and historical events in Hispanic art are depicted in these oversize strikingly beautiful books. Each book includes reproductions of paintings selected from the best Hispanic artists of all times, from classical to contemporary. Each painting is accompanied by brief poetic readings.

Each book is paired with an interactive journal where children can learn more about art and begin their own artistic expressions.

Biography Series Gateways to the Sun

This series offers the biographies of twelve significant figures from various countries in the Spanish-speaking world, representing various fields and occupations. These historical and contemporary figures are role models, who overcame obstacles to make a difference in the world.

Theater Series Gateways to the Sun

Theatrical adaptations of well known stories and folktales as well as original plays are enhanced by beautiful art. The illustrations, by several Hispanic artists, suggest costumes, props and stage designs to help on the staging of the play

• Rat-a-Tat Cat | Teatro del gato Garabato
• Roll ‘n Role | Teatrín de don Crispín
• Top Hat | Escenario de Polichinela
• Curtains Up | Teatro de doña Rosita

Language Series Gateways to the Sun

These fractured fairy tales books bring new twists to the lives of well-loved characters from storybooks. They provide ample opportunities for language development as they use diverse forms of language.

• One, Two, Three… Who Can It Be? | Uno, dos, tres. ¡Dime, quién es?
• A New Home for the Seven Little Kids | El nuevo hogar de los siete cabritos
• Happy Birthday, Little Red Riding Hood | ¡Feliz cumpleaños, Caperucita Roja!
• A New Job for Pérez, the Mouse | Ratoncito Pérez, cartero

Hispanic Lands Series Gateways to the Sun

Three oversize books on the richness and diversity of the Spanish-speaking countries of the Americas. The poetic, but highly informative text, brings attention to the extraordinary achievement of the indigenous people. The striking illustrations are carefully designed by Maestro Felipe Dávalos. They offer ample information to support and enrich the text that reflects on the responses of human groups to the challenges of their environment, and emphasize respect towards diversity, environmental and ecological awareness, community involvement, and appreciation for education.

• The Quetzal’s Journey | El vuelo del quetzal
• On the Wings of the Condor | En alas del cóndor
• Eyes of the Jaguar | Ojos del jaguar

READERS’ RESPONSES

If you have enjoyed reading or sharing this book, I would very much like to hear from you. Please click here to send your comments.

Book Description

This book includes the biographies of three very different individuals, each a remarkable contributor to her/her society.

People who are dedicated to improving the lives of others possess special qualities: José Martí, Frida Kahlo, and César Chávez are three such people. This book explores their lives and shows the ways in which each of them contributed to change the world.

Author’s Note

José Martí, extraordinary writer and exceptional human being, liked to say “Honrar, honra” implying that when we honor those who deserve it, we somehow partake of the honor. His message that it is important to honor those who have open roads that we now travel has inspired this biography series.

Isabel and I would like children to realize that the people we admire earned that admiration as they faced life with courage and dignity, determined not to be stopped by difficulties, but consistently following their dreams.

It is our great hope that children will recognize that humble beginnings or physical limitations, while creating unquestionable challenges, should not be seen as impossible barriers, and that these biographies will be for them an inspiration.

Connections

The three figures whose biographies form this book have been very influential in my own life, and for that reason they appear in multiples places in my work.

José Martí – Readers of Martí biography will also enjoy reading his poetry. Some examples can be found in English and Spanish in the books Chuchurumbé or Flying Dragon. The inspiring poem, Los dos príncipes, appears in Rios de lava and La niña de Guatemala in Huertos de coral. Tiene el leopardo un abrigo in La rama azul. The story in verse Los zapaticos de rosa is included in El son del sol, number 10 in the Collection Música amiga and in the accompanying CD of the same title, with music and voice by Suni Paz.

La rosa blanca, one of the best known poems by Martí is in El camino de tu risa, number 9 in the Collection Música amiga and in the accompanying CD of the same title, sang by Suni Paz.

Additional poems can be found in the anthology Días y días de poesía organized in a calendar format with a poem for each day of the year.

Fryda Kahlo — One of Fryda’s self-portraits can be enjoyed in Brush and Paint or Brocha y pincel, another in the interactive journal Pencils or Pinceles. In Canvas and Paper or Lienzo y papel there is a painting by Frida’s husband, Diego Rivera. In Blue and Green or Azul y verde there are two more of Rivera’s paintings which can also be appreciated in the interactive journal Colors or Colores.

César Chávez – The life of César Chávez is tied to the Migrant Farm Workers struggle. Thus an interesting connection would be the biography of Luis Valdés which appears in Voices or Voces, another book of this series.

In Gathering the Sun, an alphabet book of poems, written in honor of the Farm Workers, there is a poem to César Chávez. It can also be listened to, turned into a powerful song by Suni Paz, in the CD of the same title.

A simple poem to César Chávez appears in Días y días de poesía:

César Chávez
Alma Flor Ada

César, amigo del campesino,
César, que dignificas nuestra labor.
César, abriendo siempre nuevo camino,
César, para el honrado trabajador.

“Teatro campesino: ¡Qué florezca la luz!” en Imágenes del pasado is a reflection about the Teatro canpesino and the Migrant Farm Workers experience.

Gathering the Sun/ Puertas al sol Collection Description

This collection highlights the genius, the tenacity and the achievement of Hispanic culture. For Hispanic readers, the collection promotes pride in their culture; for non-Hispanic readers, it fosters an appreciation and an acknowledgment of—and a respect for—Latinos. The collection comprises the following 6 series. Each book and journal is published in separate editions in English and in Spanish.

Poetry Series Gateways to the Sun

These poetry anthologies are divided in sections featuring poets from various countries from the Spanish speaking world. The sections open with original poems by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy celebrating the poets and the poet’s country of origin. Selected poems by the featured poet completes each section. The contribution of Latinos is acknowledged as well as that of the anonymous poets who created the rhymes of the traditional folklore, enriching our heritage.

Art Series Gateways to the Sun

A wide variety of genres, techniques, media, and historical events in Hispanic art are depicted in these oversize strikingly beautiful books. Each book includes reproductions of paintings selected from the best Hispanic artists of all times, from classical to contemporary. Each painting is accompanied by brief poetic readings.

Each book is paired with an interactive journal where children can learn more about art and begin their own artistic expressions.

Biography Series Gateways to the Sun

This series offers the biographies of twelve significant figures from various countries in the Spanish-speaking world, representing various fields and occupations. These historical and contemporary figures are role models, who overcame obstacles to make a difference in the world.

Theater Series Gateways to the Sun

Theatrical adaptations of well known stories and folktales as well as original plays are enhanced by beautiful art. The illustrations, by several Hispanic artists, suggest costumes, props and stage designs to help on the staging of the play

• Rat-a-Tat Cat | Teatro del gato Garabato
• Roll ‘n Role | Teatrín de don Crispín
• Top Hat | Escenario de Polichinela
• Curtains Up | Teatro de doña Rosita

Language Series Gateways to the Sun

These fractured fairy tales books bring new twists to the lives of well-loved characters from storybooks. They provide ample opportunities for language development as they use diverse forms of language.

• One, Two, Three… Who Can It Be? | Uno, dos, tres. ¡Dime, quién es?
• A New Home for the Seven Little Kids | El nuevo hogar de los siete cabritos
• Happy Birthday, Little Red Riding Hood | ¡Feliz cumpleaños, Caperucita Roja!
• A New Job for Pérez, the Mouse | Ratoncito Pérez, cartero

Hispanic Lands Series Gateways to the Sun

Three oversize books on the richness and diversity of the Spanish-speaking countries of the Americas. The poetic, but highly informative text, brings attention to the extraordinary achievement of the indigenous people. The striking illustrations are carefully designed by Maestro Felipe Dávalos. They offer ample information to support and enrich the text that reflects on the responses of human groups to the challenges of their environment, and emphasize respect towards diversity, environmental and ecological awareness, community involvement, and appreciation for education.

• The Quetzal’s Journey | El vuelo del quetzal
• On the Wings of the Condor | En alas del cóndor
• Eyes of the Jaguar | Ojos del jaguar

READERS’ RESPONSES

If you have enjoyed reading or sharing this book, I would very much like to hear from you. Please click here to send your comments.

RECOGNITIONS

Pura Belpré Medal
American Library Association, Best Books of the Year 2000
American Library Association, Pura Belpré Award
Center for Latin American Studies, America’s Commended List
National Council of Teachers of English, Notable Book in the Area of Language Arts

Video: Colorin Colorado Interview, Spanish
Video: Colorin Colorado Interview, English

See also: The Alma Project

BOOK DESCRIPTION

In this companion volume to Alma Flor Ada’s Where the Flame Trees Bloom, the author offers young readers another inspiring collection of stories and reminiscences drawn from her childhood on the island of Cuba. Through those stories we see how the many events and relationships she enjoyed helped shape who she is today.

We learn of a deep friendship with a beloved dance teacher that helped sustain young Alma Flor through a miserable year in school. We meet relatives, like her mysterious Uncle Manolo, whose secret, she later learns, is that he dedicated his life to healing lepers. We share the tragedy of another uncle whose spirited personality leads to his love of flying…and the crash that takes his life.

Heartwarming, poignant, and often humorous, this collection encourages children to discover the stories in their our own lives–stories that can help form their own values and celebrate the joys and struggles we all share no matter where or when we grew up.

The Pura Belpré Award honors Latino writers and illustrators whose work best portrays, affirms and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in a children’s book. Alma Flor Ada was named the winner of the Belpré Author Award for Under the Royal Palms: A Childhood in Cuba, published by Atheneum Books.

In a heartwarming and loving portrayal of her childhood days in Cuba, Ada describes her deep friendship with a beloved dance teacher in Under the Royal Palms. Readers meet relatives and share the tragedy of the loss of Ada’s beloved uncle. Photographs enhance the diary-like portrayal of Ada’s early years.

“Where the Flame Trees Bloom encourages children to discover the stories in their own lives and to celebrate the joys and struggles we all share no matter where or when we grew up,” said Yolanda Bonitch, chair of the Pura Belpré Award Selection Committee.

Born in Camagüey, Cuba, Ada is professor of multicultural education at the University of San Francisco. She is a renowned author, translator, scholar, educator, storyteller and advocate for bilingual and multicultural education. Ada received a bachelor’s degree from Universidad Central de Madrid in Spain and a master’s degree and doctorate from Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru.

The award was announced January 17, 2000 during the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in San Antonio. The award is administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of ALA, and REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library Services to the Spanish Speaking.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

I am frequently asked, by children and adults alike, which, among the many books I have written is my favorite. I try to explain that I cherish each of my books, because I have written each one with love and they all have taught me something about myself. But I must confess that my books of memoirs, Where the Flame Trees Bloom or Allá donde florecen los framboyanes and Under the Royal Palms, as well as those published only in Spanish, Barquitos de papel, Barriletes, Días de circo, Pin pin sarabín, and Pregones have a special significance because with them I have not only tried to capture the days of my childhood but I have honored the multiple people who made my childhood memorable. These books, like the memoirs I have written for adult readers, Vivir en dos idiomas. have been my way of thanking those who enriched my spirit and taught me so much about trying to honor each day the gift of life.

REVIEWS

Publishers Weekly

In this handsomely designed companion volume to Where the Flame Trees Bloom, Ada once again draws upon her experiences growing up in post-war Cuba. In a short introduction, the author describes her hometown, Camagüey, as a “city of contrasts”? with diverse religions and education and economic levels (“some had so much and others had very little”). The 10 stories that follow do not focus on these oppositions so much as the unique experiences of young Alma and her extended family. Several memories poignantly expose the disparity between those who have and those who have not, such as “Explorers,” in which young Alma and her cousin get lost in a marabú field and are aided and fed by a poverty-stricken family. Others illustrate life lessons (for example, the impossible but gleeful task of counting bats in flight for their nightly feeding taught Alma to appreciate the process of an endeavor, rather than its completion). But the best of these stories simply recreate a poignant or humorous moment from the author’s girlhood: Alma sipping from a porrón (a small clay pot) at school, lovingly filled with water by her mother; Alma’s pride in her uncle’s daring turning to grief when he dies in an airplane crash. Many of the stories stand well alone, but some take a meandering expository path to recount a history or explain a term. These more formal (though often graceful) tangents distance readers from the slices of life. Still, at the core of the collection, there is a heartfelt portrayal of a quickly disappearing culture and a vastly beautiful land. Ages 8–12.

School Library Journal

Grade 4–7: This simple and graceful reminiscence of a childhood in Cuba in the 1940s is a companion to Where the Flame Trees Bloom (Atheneum, 1994). Although not wealthy, the author’s family lived comfortably with aunts, uncles, and cousins in a large, shared family home in the small town of Camagüey. Here any event beyond the ordinary became the focus of everyone’s attention and the fuel for many days of conversation. Each chapter includes an early memory or experience of Ada’s: nursing the baby bats that fell onto her porch, the production of simple and inexpensive plaster figures for nativity scenes, etc. The author writes about the contrast of wealth and poverty in her country at that time and of the people who made an impression on her, including a ballet teacher who befriended her during a lonely year in a new school, and an uncle and aunt who worked with lepers. Her observations of people lead to a series of revelations that shaped her life. Black-and-white photographs of the author and her family appear throughout. –Sylvia V. Meisner, Allen Middle School, Greensboro, NC.

The New York Times Book Review

The success of ”Under the Royal Palms: A Childhood in Cuba,” the companion volume to Alma Flor Ada’s ”Where the Flame Trees Bloom,” derives in no small part from its appeal to adults as well as children. The author, a professor of multicultural education at the University of San Francisco who has written a number of children’s books, understands that to get to a child’s bedroom shelves, often a book must first enchant choosy adults to buy it. And enchant this one does. The slim, handsome book is divided into 10 chapters, each a self-contained story about Ada’s childhood half a century ago in Camaguey, a city in the province of the same name in the center of Cuba, known as the cradle of great poets and courageous freedom fighters. The stories and the endearing black-and-white photographs of her family are woven into a greater theme: everything Ada learned about life, she explains, she learned in her small town, surrounded by family and nature. Although this feels preachy at times, most parents would surely not mind the lessons. For instance, after telling how she spent childhood evenings trying to count bats with her loving grandmother, she draws an eminently sensible conclusion that could easily be applied to many an apparently vain effort: ”On the many occasions when I have later felt that I am once more trying to count bats, engaged in an impossible task, I have allowed myself to laugh, happy to remember that some of the best things in life are like counting bats: it was never the final count that mattered, but rather the joy of seeing them fly.” –Mirta Ojito.

Kirkus Reviews

Of books comprising nuggets of memory there seems to be no end, and in a companion volume to her Where the Flame Trees Bloom (1994, not reviewed), Ada recounts small stories of growing up in the town of in Camagüey, Cuba. She captures with some feeling the powerful effect of scent on memory: night jasmine, coffee, ylang-ylang, and her grandmother’s perfume of lavender and sage. She immortalizes sibling hurts and uncles’ gifts, and writes of the childhood mystery of adult conversations partially overheard and partially understood. She is rich in family, attempting with her grandmother the impossible task of counting bats as they fly, and smashing her favorite doll when her dashing uncle dies in a plane crash. She is rich in memories of other adults, too: Madame Marie, a French-Jewish refugee; Gilda, a dance teacher, whose affection carried Ada through an impossible year at school. Some repetition does not detract, and children might be moved by Ada’s exhortation to consider their own family stories. (b&w photographs) (Memoir. 9–14).

CLASP

Alma Flor Ada offers stories about Cuba that would not otherwise be available to those of us living in the United States. This collection provides the reader with a close look at an active and loving extended family. It chronicles events that would probably stand out for lots of children growing up throughout history and across geographical boundaries: living in different houses, in the city and in the country… and the tragic death of a beloved young uncle. This volume provides information on a prolific author that is accessible and helpful to readers studying Latino writers.”

Booktalks

Who knows where Cuba is? Alma Flor Ada takes us to Cuba and describes her memories as a little girl there. You will feel like you are right there feeling everything she is. As you read you will be able to see the photos of her family and friends which make it come to life even more. We all have fun times in our lives and we also have tragedies happen. Alma Flor Ada describes her Uncle’s plane crash and I thought I was right there. To see what Cuba is like and Alma’s memories of her childhood you must read Under the Royal Palms by Alma Flor Ada. — Karen Womack, graduate student

READERS’ RESPONSES

If you have enjoyed reading or sharing this book, I would very much like to hear from you. Please click here to send your comments.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

This rich anthology offers 128 pages of magnificent poetry for the upper elementary, middle and high school students. The works of some of the most prestigious poets in the Spanish speaking world are represented.

Some of the poets included among many others are:

• from Spain, Rafael Alberti, León Felipe, Gloria Fuertes, Federico García Lorca, Juan Ramón Jiménez, Antonio Machado, Lope de Vega
• from Argentina, Fryda Schultz de Mantovani, Pedro Juan Vignale, María Elena Walsh
• from Costa Rica, Rodolfo Dada, Carlos Luis Sáenz
• from Chile, Gabriela Mistral, Pablo Neruda, Nicanor Parra, Violeta Parra
• from Cuba, Mirta Aguirre, David Chericián, Nicolás Guillén, José Martí
• from México, Antonio Ramírez Granados, Octavio Paz, Totoquihuatzín
• from Nicaragua, Rubén Darío
• from Perú, Javier Sologuren
• from Uruguay, Juana de Ibarborou

Poems published originally in this anthology, by F. Isabel Campoy include: “Abre la mano”, “Mi voz”, “Los colores de la tarde” and “En el museo”, and from Alma Flor Ada “Arco iris”, “Bosques”, “Campesinos y campesinas migrantes”, “Guijarros”, “El mismo sol”, and “El Inca Garcilaso de la Vega”.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Poetry is one of the best gifts we can give children. A poem a day enhances a child’s life with the sounds of words, with rhyme and rhythm, with the enchantment of images and metaphors, with the invitation to see reality with new eyes.

Our culture is very rich in outstanding poets and excellent poetry. Some poets write primarily for children, but even our most recognized poets have at some time or other written poetry that children can enjoy.

The Cielo abierto Poetry Collection is composed of seven poetry anthologies. These rich anthologies include selections from the folklore along with the work of the best Spanish-speaking poets from the United States, Latin America and Spain. Each of the selections has been carefully chosen to awaken children’s love of poetry and to deepen their appreciation for the musicality and richness of the Spanish language. Original poems by Alma Flor Ada and Isabel Campoy are also included.

It is impossible to assign a specific age to poetry, since the same poem can be enjoyed by children of different ages at different moments. Yet, there is a certain progression of language and reading difficulty in the series reflected in the order in which the titles are listed.

Grade levels have been mentioned next to the titles as an orientation, but should not be seen restrictively.

The titles are:

• Gorrión, gorrión [PreK-2] 64 pages
• El verde limón [K-3] 48 pages
• Dulce es la sal [K-3] 48 pages
• La rama azul [2–5] 64 pages
• Nuevo día [2–5] 64 pages
• Huertos de coral [5–8] 128 pages
• Ríos de lava [5–12] 128 pages

READERS’ RESPONSES

If you have enjoyed reading or sharing this book, I would very much like to hear from you. Please click here to send your comments.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

A child’s daily life unfolds to the rhythms of the “pregones”, the colorful calls of the street vendors. Along the way, the protagonist learns about fairness and justice as she develops greater sensitivity towards the workers she meets.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

I am frequently asked, by children and adults alike, which, among the many books I have written is my favorite. I try to explain that I cherish each of my books, because I have written each one with love and they all have taught me something about myself. But I must confess that my books of memoirs, Where the Flame Trees Bloom or Allá donde florecen los framboyanes and Under the Royal Palms or Bajo las palmas reales, as well as those in the series Cuentos con Alma, have a special significance because with them I have not only tried to capture the days of my childhood but I have honored the multiple people who made my childhood memorable. These books, as well as the memoirs I have written for adult readers, Vivir en dos idiomas have been my way of thanking those who enriched my spirit and taught me so much about trying to honor each day the gift of life.

Some of the greatest joys in my childhood came from very simple activities, as I have shared in the five books of memoirs in the series Cuentos con Alma: The making of paper boats, in Barquitos de papel, the nursery rhyme games, in Pin pin sarabín, flying kites in Barriletes, the annual visit of the humble circus, in Días de circo and the street vendor’s calls in Pregones, all held joy and life lessons.

READERS’ RESPONSES

If you have enjoyed reading or sharing this book, I would very much like to hear from you. Please click here to send your comments.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Songs and games bring together, every afternoon, children of diverse backgrounds. This wonderful celebration of the magic of traditional folklore is also a starting point for discussing the elimination of prejudice and discrimination.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

I am frequently asked, by children and adults alike, which, among the many books I have written is my favorite. I try to explain that I cherish each of my books, because I have written each one with love and they all have taught me something about myself. But I must confess that my books of memoirs, Where the Flame Trees Bloom or Allá donde florecen los framboyanes and Under the Royal Palms or Bajo las palmas reales, as well as those in the series Cuentos con Alma, have a special significance because with them I have not only tried to capture the days of my childhood but I have honored the multiple people who made my childhood memorable. These books, as well as the memoirs I have written for adult readers, Vivir en dos idiomas have been my way of thanking those who enriched my spirit and taught me so much about trying to honor each day the gift of life.

Some of the greatest joys in my childhood came from very simple activities, as I have shared in the five books of memoirs in the series Cuentos con Alma: The making of paper boats, in Barquitos de papel, the nursery rhyme games, in Pin pin sarabín, flying kites in Barriletes, the annual visit of the humble circus, in Días de circo and the street vendor’s calls in Pregones, all held joy and life lessons.

Growing up surrounded by people of very diverse social conditions awoke very early in me the awareness of social inequality and the desire to strive for its eradication. At this very young age the magic of traditional games and songs brought us together with no distinctions, and it gave me the reassurances that people can overcome any barrier or difference and join in common purposes.

The love for the traditional folklore which enriched my childhood has led me to incorporate traditional rhymes in many of my poetry anthologies. It has also led to devote, in collaboration with Isabel Campoy, many books to share nursery rhymes and other forms of the oral folklore, and to do it bilingually so that not only children of Latino heritage can get to know their heritage but other children can enjoy this treasury as well in ¡Pío Peep!, Mamá Goose, MooMuu, Merry Navidad and Ten Little Puppies/Diez perritos. Of the 120 poems included in the ten books of the series Música amiga, and the corresponding CDs, many are also from the folklore. What a joy to listen to them in the outstanding recordings by Suni Paz.

READERS’ RESPONSES

If you have enjoyed reading or sharing this book, I would very much like to hear from you. Please click here to send your comments.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

This ample collection of poetry, with 96 pages, lively illustrated, with poems from the most important poets of the Spanish speaking world including poetry by Rafael Alberti, Elsa Isabel Brnemann, Jaime Ferrán, Ester Feliciano Mendoza, Isabel Freire de Matos, Ernesto Galarza, Antonio Granados, Nicolás Guillén, Juan Ramón Jiménez, Gabriela Mistral, Carlos Murciano, Marina Romero, Alfonsina Storni, María Elena Walsh. Among the selections from the folklore there are four versions of the tradicional Romance de don Gato. It also includes original poems by F. Isabel Campoy as Todas las familias del mundo, La voz del verano and Si un día tuviera… and original poems by Alma Flor Ada among others Mar, Querer, and Diego Velázquez.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Poetry is one of the best gifts we can give children. A poem a day enhances a child’s life with the sounds of words, with rhyme and rhythm, with the enchantment of images and metaphors, with the invitation to see reality with new eyes.

Our culture is very rich in outstanding poets and excellent poetry. Some poets write primarily for children, but even our most recognized poets have at some time or other written poetry that children can enjoy.

The Cielo abierto Poetry Collection is composed of seven poetry anthologies. These rich anthologies include selections from the folklore along with the work of the best Spanish-speaking poets from the United States, Latin America and Spain. Each of the selections has been carefully chosen to awaken children’s love of poetry and to deepen their appreciation for the musicality and richness of the Spanish language. Original poems by Alma Flor Ada and Isabel Campoy are also included.

It is impossible to assign a specific age to poetry, since the same poem can be enjoyed by children of different ages at different moments. Yet, there is a certain progression of language and reading difficulty in the series reflected in the order in which the titles are listed.

Grade levels have been mentioned next to the titles as an orientation, but should not be seen restrictively.
The titles are:

• Gorrión, gorrión [PreK-2] 64 pages
• El verde limón [K-3] 48 pages
• Dulce es la sal [K-3] 48 pages
• La rama azul [2–5] 64 pages
• Nuevo día [2–5] 64 pages
• Huertos de coral [5–8] 128 pages
• Ríos de lava [5–12] 128 pages

READERS’ RESPONSES

If you have enjoyed reading or sharing this book, I would very much like to hear from you. Please click here to send your comments.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

The poetry selection of this anthology has been complemented with lively illustrations from four gifted artists.

The anthology includes original poetry by Alma Flor Ada and Francisca Isabel Campoy as well as poems from a number of poets from Latin America and Spain, including such renown poets as Juan Ramón Jiménez, Salvador de Madariaga, and Lope de Vega, from Spain; José Martí, Nicolás Guillén, Mirta Aguirre, and Dora Alonso, from Cuba; Pablo Neruda, from Chile; Javier Sloguren, from Perú; Floria Jiménez, from Costa Rica; Carlos Murciano from Spain, Ernesto Galarza, from México and California; Elsa Isabel Bornemann and José Sebastián Tallón, from Argentina. Among the poets included are: Julia Calzadilla, Marta Giménez Pastor, Elsa Lira Gaiero, Josemilio Gonzalez Díaz, Cesáreo Rosa,

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Poetry is one of the best gifts we can give children. A poem a day enhances a child’s life with the sounds of words, with rhyme and rhythm, with the enchantment of images and metaphors, with the invitation to see reality with new eyes.

Our culture is very rich in outstanding poets and excellent poetry. Some poets write primarily for children, but even our most recognized poets have at some time or other written poetry that children can enjoy.

The Cielo abierto Poetry Collection is composed of seven poetry anthologies. These rich anthologies include selections from the folklore along with the work of the best Spanish-speaking poets from the United States, Latin America and Spain. Each of the selections has been carefully chosen to awaken children’s love of poetry and to deepen their appreciation for the musicality and richness of the Spanish language. Original poems by Alma Flor Ada and Isabel Campoy are also included.

It is impossible to assign a specific age to poetry, since the same poem can be enjoyed by children of different ages at different moments. Yet, there is a certain progression of language and reading difficulty in the series reflected in the order in which the titles are listed.

Grade levels have been mentioned next to the titles as an orientation, but should not be seen restrictively.
The titles are:

• Gorrión, gorrión [PreK-2] 64 pages
• El verde limón [K-3] 48 pages
• Dulce es la sal [K-3] 48 pages
• La rama azul [2–5] 64 pages
• Nuevo día [2–5] 64 pages
• Huertos de coral [5–8] 128 pages
• Ríos de lava [5–12] 128 pages

READERS’ RESPONSES

If you have enjoyed reading or sharing this book, I would very much like to hear from you. Please click here to send your comments.