A TALL TALE ABOUT A GIANT WOMAN
WITH A GREAT BIG HEART
By Pat Mora
Illustrated by Raul Colon
Knopf Books
Children’s Month continues. This week’s selection is a heartwarming, humorous “tall” tale, peppered with Spanish words and phrases, about a giant lady with a great big heart from the woman who founded “Children’s Day” 15 years ago. (See below.)
BOOK SUMMARY: Doña Flor is a giant lady who lives in a tiny village in the American Southwest. Popular with her neighbors, she lets the children use her flowers as trumpets and her leftover tortillas as rafts. Flor loves to read, too, and she can often be found reading aloud to the children. One day, all the villagers hear a terrifying noise: it sounds like a huge animal bellowing just outside their village. Everyone is afraid, but not Flor. She wants to protect her beloved neighbors, so with the help of her animal friends, she sets off for the highest mesa to find the creature. Soon enough, though, the joke is on Flor and her friends, who come to rescue her, as she discovers the small secret behind that great big noise.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Pat Mora writers for adults, teen and children. A former teacher, university administrator, museum director, and consultant, Pat is a popular national speaker at conferences, campuses, libraries and schools. A literacy advocate excited about sharing what she calls "bookjoy," Pat founded the family literacy initiative, El día de los niños / El día de los libros, Children's Day / Book Day, now housed at the American Library Association. The year-long commitment to daily linking all children to books, languages and cultures that culminates in events across the country is celebrating its 15th Anniversary April, 2011. To learn more about this extraordinary woman, visit http://www.patmora.com/.
COMMENT: Do let us know what books your child is reading this month and what is their favorite Pat Mora book.
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