Pura Belpre Awards

Krull, K., & Morales, Y. (2003). Harvesting hope, the story of cesar chavez. Harcourt Children's Books.

Genre: Non-fiction - Biography

The biography of Cesar Chavez is presented from childhood to the success of the grape strike in California. The author’s note gives more information about Chavez.

Children will be drawn to the bold illustrations and also, the multicultural details that relate to Hispanic students’ lives.

This book is best used with upper elementary, possibly during a Social Studies unit or lesson about biographies. There is a lot of body language to discuss in the illustrations, as well. 

Morales, Y. (2003). Just a minute, a trickster tale and counting book. Chronicle Books Llc.

Genre: Fiction - Folk Tale
When Senor Calavera visits Grandma Beetle to take her to the after-life, she has ten different excuses to avoid going. As she counts her jobs in English and Spanish, she is actually preparing for her birthday party. Senor Calavera decides to let her enjoy another birthday with her family.

Children love a birthday party but they sometimes forget the preparation that goes into the party. This book is a fun reminder. It also incorporates vocabulary, food, and experiences that are familiar to Hispanic children.  

I would use this book as a read-aloud first and then, use it in a small group to further explore the details of the illustrations. You could also create a bilingual numeral/set book or pocket chart. 

Andrews-Goebel, N. (2002). The pot that juan built. New York, NY: Lee & Low Books, INC.

Genre: Non-fiction - Biography

This cumulative poem gives the history of Juan Quezada, a Mexican potter, and his art based on the Casas Grandes people’s pottery. It also has an afterword explaining the process, in detail.

The poetry, with cumulative and rhyming lines, gives a history lesson in an engaging manner. It makes history seem more fun and vibrant than most other books. The illustrations are vibrant and eye-catching, too.

Because the book has poetry and prose, I would introduce the book’s poetry during a group lesson but use the biographical information in a small group. Using this book with other cumulative poems would be a fun way to present children’s biographies for Open House.

Gonzalez, M. (2007). My colors, my world: Mis colores, mi mundo. San Francisco, CA: Children's Book Press.

Genre: Fiction - Realistic Fiction

Gonzalez’s character is based on herself, as a young child, growing up in the Mojave desert in California. The young girl in this book sees only one color – sand. But her feathered friend helps her see that the desert has many colors. The colors are presented in English and Spanish.

Most children think of the desert as a brown or beige place, the desert in this book is multi-colored. The new perspective is interesting and captures children’s curiosity.

This would be a nice way to introduce colors at the beginning of the year, especially with a bilingual or ELL group. I would have student make a flap-book with items of respective colors on each page. 

Pura Belpre Award