The Lily Pond

Just a Minute

BIBILIOGRAPHY

Morales, Yuyi. 2003. Just a minute: A trickster tale and counting book. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. ISBN 9780811837583

PLOT SUMMARY

Señor Calavera, who takes people to the afterlife, visits Grandma Beetle with the intent of taking her. However, Grandma Beetle is too busy to join him, so she drags him along as she prepares her birthday feast—testing his patience. Who knows when Grandma Beetle will slow down enough to join Señor Calavera!

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Just a Minute combines Mexican tradition and Spanish language in a combination counting book and trickster tale. Written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales, this great read-aloud teaches readers to count from 1 to 10 in Spanish while embedding a thrilling plot.

Señor Calavera represents the Mexican angel of death, commonly portrayed as sugar skulls during Diá de los Muertos festivities. While a skeleton may appear morbid, Morales’s skeleton has a light, whimsical feel about him. Rather than looking frightening, Señor Calavera has colorful embellishments on his bones and wears a fedora and watch. At first, readers may think Señor Calavera will be the trickster. Don’t be fooled as easily as Señor Calavera!

Grandma Beetle, the hospitable matriarch of this Hispanic family, has a very busy day planned. In preparation for a grand birthday celebration, Grandma Beetle—named after hard-working Mexican ground beetles Morales remembers—must bake, boil, slice, and so on until all the work is done when her loving grandchildren arrive. Despite her seemingly innocent appearance, Grandma Beetle is the trickster in this tale! She finds many ways to outsmart Señor Calavera in order to buy time in this life.

Grandma Beetle’s grandchildren love their abuelita. In the images, the children, varying in age, show their excitement to be with Grandma Beetle. The family resemblance even shows despite a slight variation in the family’s skin tones and hair color. Other than Señor Calavera, Grandma Beetle only interacts with her family.

The book takes place in Grandma Beetle’s brightly colored home—mostly in the kitchen, a frequent meeting place in this culture. While the geographic location is vague, readers can assume, based on the pictures, that the story takes place in current time. The kitchen is supplied with modern conveniences and colorful appliances and furnishings, and the children’s clothing reflects attire commonly worn today.

Just a Minute is chocked full of cultural details, many of which reflect Morales’s life growing up in Mexico. On special occasions, like Grandma Beetle’s birthday, the large extended family gathers for a grand celebration made complete with scrumptious cuisine and candy-filled piñatas. The food items mentioned in the book include treats typical for the region: tortillas, pineapple, papayas, queso, chiles, and melons—not to mention birthday cake! Grandma Beetle, the warm, welcoming soul, also sets a place for Señor Calavera at her table.

Children who cannot yet read will appreciate the dynamic illustrations created by Morales herself. The colorful details complement the text with a display of emotions. For example, the reader sees the expressions on Señor Calavera’s face as his patience wears thin. Sly Grandma Beetle hints early in the story that she has a plan to fool Señor Calavera. Readers should also note the change in demeanor of Grandma Beetle’s cat as the story unfolds—curious, cautious, and downright frightened.

In addition to the illustrations, the difference in font indicates to the reader the English and Spanish numbers. In order to differentiate between the two languages, the Spanish font has embellishments on each letter not present on the English letters.

To her credit, Morales creatively incorporates a moving plot in with her counting book. The added bonus of a trickster tale entices readers who may already know how to count in Spanish. This original folktale serves as a tribute to the Hispanic culture from which the author came.

AWARDS & REVIEWS

Américas Book Award, 2003

Parent’s Choice Award, 2003

ALA Notable Book, 2004

Golden Kite Award, 2004

Latino Book Awards Winner, 2004

Pura Belpré Award, 2004

Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award, 2004

“Lit with dancing lines and warm colors, Morales’s illustrations enhance the appeal of this winning story even further.” –Kirkus Reviews (excerpt from back cover)

“This deceptively simple read-aloud treat has as many layers as an onion, and is every bit as savory.” –School Library Journal, Dec. 2003

“Along with their useful math and multicultural elements, the splendid art and spirited storytelling auger a long, full life for this original folktale.” –Booklist (excerpt from back cover)

CONNECTIONS

More from Yuyi Morales

·               Morales, Yuyi. 2003. Just in case: A trickster tale and Spanish alphabet book. New York: Roaring Book Press. ISBN 9781596433298

·               Hear Yuyi Morales talk about how she decided to use Señor Calavera in her books: http://youtu.be/W2rOFe8TTEA

·               Learn more about Señor Calavera: http://www.srcalavera.com/

·               When reading Just a Minute aloud, allow children to recite Grandma Beetle’s “Just a Minute, Señor Calavera” and count along in both English and Spanish.

A(n) [Insert Language Here] Counting Book

Write and illustrate your own counting book after researching the numbers 1-10 of a language other than English or Spanish. Like Morales, incorporate a storyline with a strong plot. As you research another language, also research the culture of origin. What symbols (like Señor Calavera) could you include?

Birthday Celebration

We see how Grandma Beetle celebrates her birthday. Create a detailed, colorful 3-D diorama depicting one way you have celebrated your birthday.

Señor Calavera’s Next Visit

Can you create a trickster as sly as Grandma Beetle? In a group, write a skit detailing Señor Calavera’s next adventure. Create a character that is able to keep from going to the afterlife. Record your group performing your skit. Visit http://www.srcalavera.com/jarana.html to view two videos, which give some background information on Señor Calavera and some ideas for tricking him!

Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué Rico!

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Mora, Pat. 2007. Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Qué rico! Americas’ sproutings. Ill. by Rafael López. New York: Lee & Low Books. ISBN 9781584302711

PLOT SUMMARY

WARNING! Do not read this book on an empty stomach! Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué Rico! by Pat Mora celebrates foods originating in the Americas. Everything from cranberries to corn to vanilla, Mora presents an engaging haiku accompanied by fascinating facts about the heritage of the food.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

As Mora’s first book of haiku for children, Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué Rico! provides a delectable sampling of foods with origins all throughout the Americas—before the land was explored by Europeans and divided up into countries.

Rather than characters, this book places its focus on the food. Featured items have diverse origins—northeastern North America to southern South America. Readers will be surprised to know where their favorite snacks originated! For example, potatoes, thought by many to be from the northwest United States, are actually from Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Also, there are more than 200 varieties!

Mora celebrates the unity found in foods from the Western Hemisphere. While we may differ in language and tradition, we come together with a love of food. In the fact-filled narrative section of the pages, Mora details the place of origin, a description of the food or how it was used, a term native users called the food, and an interesting tidbit. In the informative piece about pumpkins, Mora informs readers that pumpkins are native to Central America, and the word pumpkin “comes from the Greek word pepon—meaning “large melon.” Did you know pumpkins were once believed to remove freckles? From this page spread, the reader learns the largest pumpkin (as of 2006) weighed in at 1,502 pounds.

Within the haiku, Mora describes the shape, texture, and/or taste of the featured fare. A chile is described as “green mouth-fire.” Mora also incorporates Spanish words in relevant places. In “Prickly Pear,” the latter part of the haiku reads, “Cactus fruit becomes syrup / and dulces Surprise!” The inclusion of Spanish words or phrases adds to the authenticity of the text—both poem and narrative texts. As a help to the reader, Mora provides references on the copyright page.

The authenticity of the text is backed by sources consulted, also located on the copyright page.

When reading each page, the reader must read in three phases (in no particular order): haiku, informative text, and illustration. Rafael López includes such detail in his art that the haiku and informative pieces would be lacking without them. The people portrayed in the images represent people from all parts of the Americas—dark-toned skin with dark hair to light-toned skin with lighter hair. The adults and children celebrate each food item right along with the reader.

Because of the amazing detail López includes, the reader must plan to visit each page for a significant length of time. Simply reading the text and glancing at the pictures will not do the book, in its entirety, justice.

Many pages include multiple people or groups participating in a variety of activities relating to the food. On the cranberries page, a girl, standing waist-deep in a bog, is watching the berries burst in a pot when heated while a boy in the background is jumping around berries growing on vines.

The colors López includes—animated and lively—nicely complement Mora’s vibrant and dynamic words. The detail provided both in words and pictures gives familiarity even to previously unknown treats.

AWARDS AND REVIEWS

Best Children's Books of the Year, 2008, Bank Street College of Education

Booklist Book Review Stars, Dec. 2007, American Library Association

Notable Children's Books, 2008, ALSC American Library Association

Américas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature, 2008

“This inventive stew of food haiku celebrates the indigenous foods of the Americas. Each of the 13 poems appears on a gloriously colorful double-page spread, accompanied by a sidebar that presents information about the origin of the food.” —Booklist, Dec. 2007, starred review

“Haiku seems a strange form for an American-centered collection, but Mora works the vivid imagery in lyrics that are pretty lip-smacking in their own sonorous right (the tomato ‘squirts seedy, juicy splatter’), making them tasty candidates for reading aloud.” –Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, Dec. 2007

CONNECTIONS

Food Celebrations!

In a few of the informational portions of the text, Mora gives reference to monthly celebrations of certain foods: National Blueberry Month in July and National Peanut Month in March. Research some other foods (or learn more about the ones included in the text) and plan a celebration day for these food items. Include in your celebration the preparation of at least 3 recipes featuring the honored food, an activity (game, song, etc.), and festive costuming. Choose an interactive tool to present your idea. (Methods might include a video recording or live performance of your celebration, a Prezi presentation detailing your plans, or a Glogster-type bulletin advertising the celebration)

Americas’ Sproutings Potluck

Choose one food from the book, and find two recipes, which feature that item. Whip up one or both dishes, and print a copy of the recipe. Combine the recipes for a ¡Qué Rico! Cookbook!

More Food Origin Haiku

Choose another favorite food not mentioned in the book (from any place of origin) to research. Using Mora’s style, write a haiku describing your item. Research where it originated, how it grows and is used, and two other interesting facts! Illustrate a book page; include your original text and sources in the layout. Book pages can be combined to make another compilation. (Another option is to create an 11” x 17” page spread, laminate, and use as a placemat for the Americas’ Sproutings Potluck.)

Partly Cloudy

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Soto, Gary. 2009. Partly cloudy; Poems of love and longing. New York: Harcourt. ISBN 97800152063016

PLOT SUMMARY

Partly Cloudy is a compilation of poems about young love from several perspectives. Completely open and honest poems about first kisses, jealousy, and heartbreak come from the views of both teenage girls and boys.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Gary Soto, renowned poet, strikes again! He transparently reveals thoughts and emotions held within adolescents in and out of love. As I reader, I could relate to feelings expressed by female personas.

The compilation of poems reflects views of love from many different people. While this is not evident at first, the reader will see lovers’ contrasting characteristics described. For example, in “Rumors,” the boy alludes to guitar-playing abilities. However, in “Country Music,” the boy doesn’t sing or play guitar. In “So Much Alike,” the boy only goes to church to impress the girl he likes while the writer of “Beautiful Trouble” gets warned by his dad, the church deacon to look out for dangerous girls.

Soto includes a wide range of emotions in his personas. “The Invisible Girl” feels unnoticed while “Bossy Girl” laments over lost love. The “Vegan for Your Love” boy sacrifices his own desires for a diet like his girl’s. “Simple Me” pines for the girl he follows closely in the school cafeteria. The strong boy in “A Certain Weakness” describes the exhaustion that comes from thinking of his crush. None of the personas appear weak or conceited or anything other than genuine in their sentiments. Each reader, no matter their culture, surely will identify with at least one persona’s feelings.

In other pieces I’ve read by Soto, characters are described in more detail than these love-struck (or heartbroken) characters. Very few personas identify themselves or others by name. On occasion, such as in “Barriers,” the cultures of the young people are expressed—Japanese girl and Mexican boy—as well as a few common phrases in each language and the peculiarity of the two being in a relationship together. In “Meaning What?” a classmate speaks Mandarin and translates for the persona.

Just as the persona changes from poem to poem, so does the setting. Evidence from poems like “Obsession”—“Downloaded photos of you…” —and “Little Puppy”—“ I secretly flip open my cell”—indicate the tense of these poems is present. However, seasons change from poem to poem as is exemplified in “Facts of Life,” “Beginning of Baseball Season,” ”Danger,” and “Fall Dance.”

The location of these smitten teens varies as well. One boy writes in “Iowa Evening”  about helping out in the fields while in “A View of Heaven,” the boy describes the “forest of TV antennas.” Quite often, the events take place at school as seen in “Jealousy” and “Imagination.” The female persona of “Neighborhood” gives great detail about her rough neighborhood with no pretty lawns but the “yellow grill on the face of a thug” who yells at her as she passes by.

Many of Soto’s pieces include allusions to his own Hispanic culture. That is a rare find in Partly Cloudy. A few exceptions include the dancing peas “almost doing a samba” in “Simple Me.” As mentioned previously, a girl of Japanese descent is in love with a boy of Mexican origin. Other than a few exchanges of common phrase, the reader does not learn details of how their cultural differences impact their relationship.

As with most of his other poetry, Soto creatively twists words together to make a powerful statement. In “The Big Chill,” a hint of what is to come occurs in the description of shadows: “Shadows the color of diesel exhaust.” “Facts of Life” compares a bee pollinating a flower to a boy making his intentions known to a girl. A completely smitten girl exaggerates the homemaking abilities of her “multitasking lover boy” in “Natural Talent,” creating an element of humor for the reader.

Most reader may miss Soto’s female persona alluding to an Old Testament account in “Testing You.” The girl tells her love that her gardener father would make him “shovel seven years / For [her] sweet-smelling hand.” This parallels the account of Jacob in Genesis who agreed to work for Laban seven years to earn the hand of Rachel.

While Partly Cloudy lacks cultural depth, the absence of one particular ethnicity creates a unity among readers. No matter your background, heritage, language, or location, at some point, you will or have felt the emotions displayed in Partly Cloudy.

AWARDS & REVIEWS

Best Books:

Choices, 2010, Cooperative Children's Book Center

Pure Poetry, 2008; Voice of Youth Advocates

“Soto writes…with humor, wonderment, and a generosity toward life.”—Kirkus Review, quoted on book jacket

“Young teens will enjoy the ‘love sick’ puns and the metaphors, lyrical and sad, that show there is poetry in the way they speak.” –Booklist, Feb. 2009

“The free-verse poems all somehow ring true: appropriately corny, rich with image, accessible and believable. They describe a range of emotions and experience.”—Horn Book Magazine, 2009

CONNECTIONS

Country Music

In the poem “Country Music,” the boy wishes to write a song about the girl he loves, but he feels he lacks the ability to do so. Many of the poems in this collection compare to country songs by the likes of Taylor Swift. Choose one poem’s situation and turn it into a Taylor Swift-style country song. Use one of Swift’s catchy melodies to guide you, if you so choose.

Perfect Match

While none of the female personas’ poems are intended to regard one of the male personas, the two personas could match up to make a perfect pair. Choose one poem from the female section and one poem from the male section to partner up. Create two posters detailing what each persona is describing so that they each match up. For example, if the female is expressing how she enjoys being with the boy exposes her to nature, match that poem with the male poem that details an outing the couple goes on.

Immediate Response

Many of these poems equate to one-sided diary entries. What if the person the persona is talking to—a lover, ex, or crush—could respond to the poem? Do that! Write a poetic response to one poem. Please identify the poem and persona to whom you are replying. Use a Web 2.0 app such as Animoto to record your performance of this poem.