TOMAS AND THE LIBRARY LADY

Mora, Pat. Tomas and the Library Lady (Dragonfly Books). 1st Dragonfly Books Ed ed. New York, New York: Dragonfly Books, 2000. ISBN 0-375-80349-1.

PLOT SUMMARY:
Tomas' migrant family picks fruit and vegetables for Texas farmers in the winter and for Iowa farmers in the summer. When his family (Papa, Mama, Papa Grande, and brother Enrique) drive to Iowa for the summer, his grandfather tells him to go to the library to learn some new stories. The librarian befriends Tomas, and helps him to check books out under her name. Tomas spent many days that summer reading in the library and bringing books back to share with his family. At the end of the summer, his family returns to Texas, and Tomas must tell the librarian and the library good-bye. The story is a fictional accounting of Tomas Rivera, a migrant worker who was encouraged to read by a librarian in Iowa and later became the chancellor of the University of California at Riverside.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
As Tomas' story unfolds, the marriage of Spanish into the English text is seemless and flawless. There is the perfect blending of Spanish words into the story, without it being overpowering whatsoever. When Tomas read to his grandfather, he read first in Spanish and then in English. This seems like the natural way to blend the languages as his grandfather would likely have limited English vocabulary skills.

The scratchboard illustrations enhance the story. The muted colors, the use of shadowing, and the shades of skin color are brought to life through the illustrations. When Tomas read to himself, his imagination went wild. He imagined himself in the story, smellin smoke at an Indian camp and riding a horse across a hot, dusty desert. The illustrations show Tomas on the side of the page reading the book while the focus is on the larger illustration showing the cowboys, horses and Indians coming to life. Tomas' love of reading and the importance his family places on stories and storytelling are evident in the story and the illustrations. When Tomas hugs the book towards the end of the story, it is easy to feel the warmth and emotions he is feeling.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:

School Library Journal:
Colon's earthy, sun-warmed colors, textured with swirling lines, add life to this biographical fragment and help portray Tomas's reading adventures in appealing ways.

Booklist:
Colon's beautiful scratchboard illustrations, in his textured, glowingly colored, rhythmic style, capture the warmth and the dreams that the boy finds in the world of books. The pictures are upbeat; little stress is shown; even in the fields, the kids could be playing kick ball or listening to stories. Perhaps the most moving picture is that of the child outside the library door, his face pressed against the pane. In contrast is the peaceful space he finds inside, where he is free to imagine dinosaurs and wild adventure.

Kirkus Review:
A charming, true story about the encounter between the boy who would become chancellor at the University of California at Riverside and a librarian in Iowa. Colon's dreamy illustrations capture the brief friendship and its life-altering effects in soft earth tones, using round sculptured shapes that often depict the boy right in the middle of whatever story realm he's entered.

CONNECTIONS:

* Research scratchboard art. Have students create their own scratchboard art. One how to site for kids is http://www.kidsart.com/q010100.html.

* Ask students why the librarian checked the books out for Tomas rather than he for himself. If students are old enough to discuss, talk about immigration and the current issues and controversies surrounding immigrants.

* Take a field trip to the local library. Have students get a library card if they don't have one and check books out. Focus on books that students can use for storytelling. Have students get into small groups and practice storytelling. They can create their own story or retell a story from a book. The teacher or librarian can also tell a a story and have students practice retelling it.