List, more list, and Yuyilist

This is the time when children's books lists naming the best of the year sprout. You might have seen them already too:

The NY public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing10 for '10: Best Books for Youth on social Justice and Intercultural UnderstandingKirkus 2010 Best Children's Books
Publishers Weekly Best Children's books 2010The New York times Best Illustrated Children's Books of 1010
The Huffington Post Best Picture Books 2010School Library Journal Best Books 2010: Picture Books2010 Horn Book Fanfare

Even a couple of my favorite literary people make their own well informed list:

Fuse #8 100 Magnificent Children's books of 2010
Richie's picks: The Best of 2010

and many more.

So, why not a Yuyilist? Ok, unlike reviewers, I don't get to see even a minimal part of the about 5,000 children's books that are published every year. So my list would have to be different; it wouldn't be about naming the best of the year according to me. Instead it will have to be about 2010 books that caught my eye, that surprised me, that kept me reading late at night. And so here they are:


Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin. Duncan Tonatiuh (what a magnificent name; The Sun God) illustrated this book with an style that brings to modern days the indigenous art of Mexico. Notice the painting of people facing sideways like in the Mayan and Aztec art. The more I look at this book the more I admire it.


Chavela's Magic Bubble Gum. Yes, this book is illustrated by my sister Magaly, and, of course, I naturally feel close to anything she produces. But when I went to the store and looked inside the shelves, and even though I have seen the illustrations while it was being made, guess which book caught my eye? Yes, it was hers, with its warm colors and the magic of the bubble gum harvested from the sapodilla tress, with Abuelita's sweet face and pretty dresses, and the chicleros's whistling songs while they work.


Henry in Love= Yuyi in Love. To me this book is the epitome of a picture book: simple, elegant, beautiful, charming, carefully illustrated; in my opinion the right direction for picture books. An inspiration.


Me, Frida, to date the best work of David Diaz. Oh-huh, does that mean that he could win the...? He could win anything, indeed!


The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy). What a book! I loved peeking inside the little pages inserted between spread that show Susy's writing about her famous father Mark Twain. But what I loved even more what the cleverness of the compositions, the play of the illustrating elements, the light, and the use of lines.


Tortilla Sun. This middle grade novel kept transporting myself to the desert to make and savor tortillas in a different style from the one I learned when I was a child. While I didn't necessarily think of this book as magical realism (the way it has been publicized), I enjoyed it for the narrative, the landscapes it portrayed, and the familiarity I felt with the characters in this story.


Shadow. Susy Lee keeps coming with books that leave me thinking, leave inspired, and even leave me a little scared sometimes. There very few words in her books, but her designs makes for great narratives where feelings are abundant.


Petit, the Monster. Is Petit bad or is he good?. He is bad when he lies, but then he is good when he tells stories, right? I used to have the same problem as Petit; as a child I couldn't figure out if I was good or bad. I actually think, like this story suggest that, like in Petit's case, duality simply runs in my family.


Any Small Goodness: A small Novel of The Barrio. OK, I know, I know. This is not a 2010 book. I know! But it was only this year that I read Tony's novel, and I was wowed. This book is a little jewel, like a secret kept inside a little box in Abuelita's closet. What a pleasant surprise to find a book with inexplicable characters like Abuelita who arrived from Aguascalientes on a Norteño bus carrying her prayer book, a photograph of Grandfather, and her lava grinding stone molcajete. Or Mami, who's got possum-pavor, because she is convinced that they will give her tlacuachazos big possum hits when she take the garbage out at night. One of my favorite reads this year.


Now I must confess, I got a soft spot for City Dog, Country Frog. At first I wasn't warmed up to the image in the cover, but open it up and the images are tender, engaging, and funny. A book to love.

Other books I greatly enjoyed:
Little Owl Lost
The Dreamer
Side to Side: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez
My Shoes and I
The Boss Baby
Dave the potter (what an elegant and beautiful book)

One book I haven't gotten to see yet, but that I am awaiting to read before the year is finished is Mr. Mendoza's Paintbrush. this is a graphic novel, and I am very taken with the description and the art in the cover. Take a look.


What I am anticipating to see next year are two books with art from two of my favorite illustrators, Rafael Lopez and John Parra respectively, La Cazuela That The Farm Maiden Stirred (just look at this artwork!)


and Waiting For The Biblioburro.



I, for once, can't wait.

Ways to give a book

In preparation for the holiday giving, Mother Reader has posted her 105 ways to give a book, and I am very, very inspired with her ideas. A book has always seemed to me a present good enough to be given on its own, but matching a book with something that relates to that particular book's experience, seems to me the ultimate gift. And, so, in preparation for my own holiday giving, and inspired by Mother Reader's ideas, here I am offering some ideas for giving books. These books are among my recent favorites. They are also particular to what I know; my own cultural experience. I would love to hear your own ideas for your favorite books.

1.Give Chavela and the Magic Bubble with some pieces of Mexican bubble gum. I went to my local Mexican produces store and I found a few choices, but I ultimately decided to order online a bag of Chicles Motita, which were the classic gum I chewed when I was a child. They were not easy to find, but here is where you can order them too.


Now, here is a second idea for giving Chavela and the Magic Bubble; pair it with a hand made doll in a blue dress, like the one that is featured and shared by the protagonist of this book. I am a firm believer and practitioner of handmade gifts and here are some places and tutorials to make a doll:

You can learn how to make a cloth and paper clay doll at Jane Desrosier's online group for a yearly fee of $10 (I am a member of this group).


A tutorial for making a felt doll can be found here at The Purl Bee.

Or perhaps even a corn husk doll. The skirt can be dyed blue following these instructions.



2. Me, Frida.

This gorgeous book can be paired with a handmade portfolio and easel. Tutorial at the Giver's Log.

Or with a Frida paper doll by Donal Hendricks.


3. Diego, Bigger than life is one of my favorite books ever.

This poetic exploration of the life and artwork of the Mexican Muralist Diego Rivera can be given along a set of homemade stripey sidewalk chalk like this one:

Once more find the tutorial for this fabulous chunky clacks at the Giver's Log.


4. Playing Loteria/El Juego de la Loteria book can be wrapped together with a Loteria Game set. Then have a family day of playing loteria. A traditional set can be purchased here, and here, as well as a Day of the Dead Loteria here. But you can also make your own loteria. Here is a tutorial from Maison Celeste. In need of inspiration? Look at this Space Loteria by Chepo Peña!

5. P is for Piñata: A Mexican Alphabet, is a book full of riches. Every time I read this book I find myself traveling trough the Mexican landscape of the paintings of John Parra. It is a nostalgic book for me and I plan to give it to people I love so that they themselves discover the tomb of the Mayan king Pakal, and learn how the Aztecs used to drink chocolate cold, bitter, and mixed with flowers. This book is so packed with information that the choices of what to pair it with are endless. But here I am going with a piñata.


From Simply Modern Mom, here are instructions for a beautiful ice cream piñata.


Except making piñatas can prove laborious. Here is a tutorial for an easy star piñata. And here one to make a piñata from a paper bag.

Now, my mother, who worked for many years as an elementary school teacher in Mexico, also knew that piñatas can be dangerous. So here is a safe piñata version like the ones she used to make for her students. This one from Ikatbag is to be pulled by hanging ribbons rather than hit with a stick.

6.The Dreamer. This novel based in the childhood of the poet Pablo Neruda can be given together with a magnetic poetry kit.

Even better, how about pairing it with these poetry kit cookies? I found the instructions at The Decorated Cookie blog.


7. Since seven is my favorite number, here is (for now) my last book to give away. The Lacuna surprised me, delighted me, infuriated me too! It is a book to provoke many emotions. More than anything else I was surprised at how I believed that the author had been there, at every moment of the story, in a country that is mine, with characters that are part of my history, and yet showing me something new and unexpected.

I would give this book to any adult friend (and also to some big kids I know) along with a box of pan dulce.

Freshly backed Mexican pan dulce can be found at your local Mexican bakery or store. But, if you are adventurous enough to make the beard yourself, here is a recipe from Joy the Baker.

Happy giving.

Talking about Ladder to the Moon

It was last September that I began drawing and painting the illustrations of Ladder to the Moon, a picture book written by Maya Soetoro-ng. This fall , as the book is going through the printing process, our publishers, Candlewick, is sharing two video interviews. one with Maya and another one with me, were we talk about the making and the inspiration behind Ladder to the Moon.

I am particularly fond of hearing Maya speak. I love this woman's both strength and tenderness.





For more news and interviews about Ladder to the Moon, you can follow the book's progress in Facebook

Book cover released

My publisher, Candlewick, just released the cover image of the last book I illustrated, Ladder to the Moon, written by Maya Soetoro-Ng.
This picture book will be released in Spring 2011

Inspiration date

My friend Jim and I have inspiration dates each month.

Among the things that don't happen in our inspiration date are the following:

• French Kissing.

• Rampant Gossiping.

• Table dancing.

• Entering illegally into other countries.

• The hunting of animals.

• Tequila drinking.

• Bungee jumping.

• Worrying.

Instead, this is what happens in our inspiration dates:

• We meet somewhere in the bay area.

• We visit a place where we can find inspiration.

• Children's bookstores are some of the best places to find what we are looking for. Libraries and exhibit are too.

• We have adopted the mission to find at least one thing that we love: a story, images with a great style, a new artist, a great book.

• We bring our object of inspiration home. Some times we bring two or more. And some times they are not for sale.

• At the end of our date we might have time to create something together, such as this,

And this,

Ay, Llorona from Yuyi Morales on Vimeo.

During our September inspiration date we visited one of our favorite stores, The Storyteller.
There we found artwork that we loved, such as in this book illustrated by Isol


And stories and illustrations that made us laugh

And even some shocking art coincidences.

At the end, I chose my favorite.

But what we found together was rich and hard to choose only one. Here are the books that caught our attention at our date. It was hard to leave them behind.

One book question--and my friends coming to the rescue

This question was posted after my note Yes, I Look Like an Illegal Immigrant:

"Hello, Ms. Morales, I was wondering if you knew of a children's book or young adult novel about a high school student trying to be a normal American teenager but having to hide their parents's illegal immigrant status? After graduation , they can't get a job, drive a car, or get scholarships for college. This is for a grad project I'm working on."

I know that the voice of the community is far richer than mine alone, so I posted the question in my Facebook page. And here, in this list of recommended books I got an answer for Steve and for anyone who wants to know:

Ask Me No Questions, by Marina Budhos
Under the Feet of Jesus, by Helena María Viramontes
Pablo and Pimienta, by Ruth Covault
Friends from the Other Side, by Gloria Anzaldúa and Consuelo Mendez Castillo
Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez
La Linea, by Ann Jaramillo
Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez
The Circuit by Francisco Jimenez
Reaching Out by Francisco Jimenez
We are Americans, by William Perez

Thank you so much for the recommendations to Scoot Beck, Ginger Knowlton, Oralia Garza de Cortes, and Sherry York.

I hope these help you, Steve.

Happy Cesar Chavez day

Cesar Chavez Day is a day for service. What about celebrating reading?

Here are my favorite children books about Cesar Chavez:

Cesar: Si, Se Puede!, Yes, We Can! By Carment T. Bernier-Grand and David Diaz. Beautiful heartfelt poems tell about the life and work of Cesar Chavez.



Elegy on the Death of Cesar Chavez, by Rudolfo Anaya and Gaspar Enriquez. A poem Eulogizing Cesar.


Cesar Chavez: A Hero for Everyone, by Gary Soto and Lohstoeter Lori. A book written by Gary, who is not only an iconic Chicano writer, but also the Young People Ambassador for the United Farm Workers of America.


Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez, by Kathleen Krull and Yuyi Morales.
Of course, this is my most beloved book about Chavez. From the moment I got the manuscript to illustrate, I knew a blessing had fell upon me. I read the text, and the story of Cesar, for the first time one morning in my way to pick my son to school, only to find myself standing up in the street with a knot on my throat. Here was a real hero for me to honor and love.


And here a quick list of books about Farmworkers and Farmworkers life:

Gathering the Sun: An Alphabet in Spanish and English. By Alma Flor Ada and Simon Silva
A Day’s Work. By Eve Bunting and Ronald Himler.
Radio Man: A Story in English and Spanish. Arthur Dorros and Sandra Marulanda Dorros
Calling the Doves/El Canto de las Palomas. By Juan Felipe Herrera and Elly Simmons..
The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child. By Francisco Jiménez.
The Tortilla Factory/La Tortillería. By Gary Paulsen and Ruth Wright Paulsen.
First Day in Grapes. By L. King Pérez and Robert Casilla.
Esperanza Rising. By Pam Muñoz Ryan.

Happy reading.

Coconut paleta for me, please

The Charlotte Zolotow Awards have been announced and there, as the winner, is my sister's book, "What Can You Do With A Paleta?"! the Zolotow is given annualy to the author of the best picture book text published in the USA in the preceding year--the Newbery of picture books if you ask me. Here is the article from School Library Journal about the award and all the books selected this year.

Another list I am looking at, trying to chose some more books to add to my reading list, is the 2010 Best Books for Young Adults. Find it here.

Yesterday my friend Jim and I went to look for some of these books at The Storyteller here in Lafayette, a bookstore that exclusively sells children's books, and it is right here in my neighborhood. While we were there Jim and I decided to start a new tradition of ourselves. Every month we'll come together to the store and find at least ONE book that we love. Yesterday we both came home with our choice: Henry in Love, by Peter McCarty, have you seen that picture book? Exquisite!
Want to come with us next month?

Among the holiday gift guides

A few articles and holiday gift guides have included my books this month.

Just in Case: A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book is featured in Latina Magazine along with a small selection of other Latino themed and Spanish Language books here. This list also includes one of my favorite books this year: Animal poems of the Iguazu/ Animalario del Iguazu, by Francisco Alarcon and Maya Christina Gonzales.

The BCCB of the University of Illinois has an annotated list of books for youth 2009, here. My Book Just in Case it is there too.

My newest book, My abuelita, written by Tony Johnston appears in the San Francisco Chronicle Holiday Gifth Guide, and it is recommended in Over The River, Through the Woods: A Literary Visit To Grandma’s House by The Bulletin.

The United Farm Workers store recommends, of course, Harvesting Hope: the Story of Cesar Chavez, and so does the Donnelly/Colt Progressive Resources Catalog. While you are there also check the Peace Bank, a terracotta sphere with the word peace inscribed in many languages ( I am putting that one in my own list).

Now, if looking for a Christmas themed book, here come the recommendations for A Piñata In A Pine Tree, A Latino Twelve Days of Christmas, by Pat Mora, illustrated by Magaly Morales (yes, my sister), at the Contra Costa Times, The Horn Book, Grand Rapids Living, Children's Literature, and School Library Journal.

My personal favorite this season? Besides A Piñata In A Pine Tree, which offers a luminous representation of Latino Christmas, I was captivated by the poetry of Diego: Bigger Than Life by Carmen , Bernier-Grand and David Diaz. A powerful book.

Often people ask me where to find my books or those titles that I talk about, and I always send people to their neighborhood independent bookstore. I also recommend that if the bookstore doesn't currently have those books, to ask the clerk to requested them. Most bookstores will have the book available in a mater of a few days, and this is the best way to let local businesses know about more books that people want. But in case you need online help with obtaining books this holidays, I have included links to Amazon; just click on the titles.

Originally post source: my blog Corazonadas

Fuse#8 challenge: Top Ten Picture Books

Fuse#8 announced her Picture Book poll and I decided to be brave and come up with my own list of the Top Ten Picture Books Of All Time According To Me.

Consider that, although I have read many many picture books, I still wonder which I might have missed since I began reading them fourteen years ago after I arrived to the USA. Because I was already an adult when I started, I did not grew up with the titles I am about to mention. Instead, I grew some more with them.

These books are in this list because perhaps they made me cry, or because I kept thinking about them years after I met them for the first time, or because I couldn’t stop imagining what it would be like to make a book like those, or because they changed my mind, or my heart, or my body, or taught me something I still live by, or simply because I adore them with inexplicable, irrational fervor. But only ten books? I’ll do my best…

A Small Tall Tale From The Far Far North. Peter Sis.

The most powerful and unforgettable of Sis' books. I literally drank this book with my eyes when I found it.

Amos and Boris. William Steigh

My son and I would read this story at night over and over again, transpired by the sea and the love between this small mouse and a whale.

Chato’s Kitchen. Gary Soto and Susan Guevara.

Barrio cats in a picture book? I couldn’t believe my eyes the first time I saw this book! Chato is some kind of Pedro Infante of the children’s literature.

The Stray dog. Marc Simont.

Marc Simont is a genius. There is such a simplicity in his art, and yet, no emotion si too big for him. I cheered so much with this book.

A Mother For Choco. Keiko Kasza.

Some of the best endings ever in a picture book.

Calling The Doves. Juan Felipe Herrera and Elly Simmons

This book is soulful. A song itself.

Going home. Eve bunting and David Diaz

There is something in this story that makes me weep. Is it the longing?

Sitti’s Secrets. Naomi Shihab Nye and Nancy Carpenter

I love the letter at the end of this book. I just found that Shihab Nye wrote a different kind of letter one day.

Good Night Gorilla. Peggy Rathmann.

For the longest time I wanted to be just like Peggy Rathmman. I still do…

The Day I Swapped My Dad For A Goldfish. Neil Gaiman and Dave Mckean

Storytelling at its best. There are some many undercurrents in this story.

Dear Fuse#8, ten books would never be enough; a hundred books would never be enough…how could I leave out the following titles?

Lon PoPo. Ed Young

Monster Mama. Liz Rosenberg and Stephen Gammell

Freight Train. Donald Crews.

Madlenka’s Dog. Peter Sis.

The Arrival. Shaun Tan.

Emeline At The Circus. Marjorie Priceman.

Northern Lullaby. Nancy White Carlstrom, and Diane and DianeDillon

Wild Child. Lynn Plourde and Greg Couch

The Mountains Of Tibet. Mordicai Gerstein.

John Patrick Norman McHennessy: The Boy Who Was Always Late. John Burningham.