Written by: Carmen Tafolla
Illustrated by: Magaly Morales
Tafolla, C. (2009). What can you do with paleta?. Toronto: Tricycle Press.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Recommended grades: PK - 2nd
Awards: Tomas Rivera Award (2010)
Summary: This book describes all the uses for a frozen Mexican treat sold in local neighborhoods (barrios) called paletas.
Personal Reflection: This book is an outstanding children’s book because the author uses kid-friendly words to explain all the different reasons why people eat paletas. I would use this book to teach “making connections.” In my class, students struggle with connecting to a book and expressing how they feel when they are reading or listening to a story. After reading this story, I would ask the students questions about how this book make them feel and if they could recall a special treat that makes them feel excited when they eat it. The colors in this book are so vibrant that they also send the reader a message of excitement. I would also use this book in writing workshop to teach how illustrations can affect the mood of a book. This is a hard concept for students to understand. You could reflect on this book and then refer back to The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt to compare the illustrations.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book for library purchase because it’s a great book to teach how illustrations affect mood. This book would also be a great choice to read to teach students how to make connections. Students can connect with the neighborhood, feelings and emotions, and concept of this book.
My Name is – Me Llamo Celia: The Life of Celia Cruz – La vida de Celia Cruz
Written by: Monica Brown
Illustrated by: Rafael Lopez
Brown, M. (2004). My name is – me llamo Celia: The life of Celia Cruz – la vida de Celia Cruz. Flagstaff, AZ: Luna Rising.
Genre: Biography
Recommended grades: K – 4th
Awards: Pura Belpre honor for illustrations, Americas Award Winner for literature
Summary: In this book you will learn about the life of Celia Cruz, a Cuban singer who later became known as the Queen of Salsa.
Personal Reflection: This book is an outstanding children’s book because it introduces students to the biography genre. I would use this book in upper grades, 3rd or 4th, as an introduction to biographies. After reading different biographies, the students could complete a research project on a famous person. In the lower grades, I would plan on reading a couple of biographies and comparing and contrasting the subjects. For librarians and teachers alike it is important that we introduce students to biographies and people who have overcome diversity. These books can teach our students many life lessons such as humility, strength and courage.
Recommendation: I would highly recommend this book for library purchase because students need to be exposed to books of all genres across all platforms.
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