6.28.2007

Tomas and the library lady

Mora, Pat. Illustrated by Raul Colon. 1997. Tomas and the library lady. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 0679804013.

Plot Summary
Tomas is a member of a migrant worker's family. He moves to a new town in Iowa and after hearing all of his Papa Grande's tales, he suggests that Tomas go to the local library to learn new stories. The librarian shares new books with Tomas at every visit and Tomas' imagination is inspired by the tales he reads. When it is time to move on, he and the librarian have to say a sad adios.

Critical Analysis
This book shares a unique perspective about a population of children often overlooked in literature. The book left me feeling that the story was incomplete, however. The smattering of Spanish words throughout the text felt forced and out-of-context in each situation. Perhaps my hesitation to embrace this book has a little to do with the stereotypical librarian "look" and the heroic light she is placed in. It seems very rosy and does a surface job addressing the complex emotions that one would think to come with a child in this situation.

At the end of the book, the author notes that Tomas went on to becoming the chancellor of the University of California at Riverside. The story and the facts of Tomas' life insinuate that because of the librarian's influence on the child, because she "introduced" him to fantastic books, he later became a success. It leaves little room to credit the Papa Grande for instilling a love of stories as an important factor in his education. Also, it leaves little credit to Tomas' strength of curiosity, drive to excel or other factors like family support that may be as influential or more so than the library lady. This reads that the child would not have succeeded without this White lady's influence and was destined to be a migrant worker like the other members of his family and this is somehow not a success.

The author did a nice job showing how the books inspired Tomas' imagination as much as the stories Papa Grande told. The illustrations that supported the pages where Tomas was reading a book about dinosaurs are equally as vivid and evocative as those where he is listening to Papa Grande's stories. I liked the way Tomas was being sent to the library to learn stories to share with his family and to read to his Papa who requests "Read to me in English." This encouragement and "mission" is obviously a big reason why Tomas embraces the library lady's stories. It is a plausible situation and beckons the question why the brother or other children do not go with Tomas to the library. Indeed, if they were also "playing" during the day while their parents worked the fields, the other children would surely come along. It is unlikely, however, that the children did not also work in the fields with their parents. Tomas was old enough and often this is the case with migrant families.

The library and the stories read and heard, implies a sort of escape from their daily lives. This is true for all readers, young and old, living in every situation. In this way the story could perhaps be universally inspired to all children whether or not they can relate to Tomas' circumstances. It was also a positive look on a brief exchange of languages with Tomas teaching the librarian some words in Spanish in a sort of cross-cultural exchange.

Colon's images were calming, alluring and the color tones gave a desert, southwestern feeling rather than a midwestern feeling, perhaps more a nod to the roots of Tomas' heritage rather than his temporary home. The pictures have texture and depth. The characters were faintly a part of the landscape and backdrop as were the books in the library alluding to a seamless transition.

The Mexican heritage of Tomas was second to the story's message. The few words that were inputted into the pages were simply replacements for the English words, aside from the pan dulce that Tomas gives the library lady from his mother. They added no depth or greater understanding of the character's identity other than that his family uses Spanish terms to address each other. This is surely not the entire picture. It is plausible that the community speaks Spanish amongst themselves and the story would have been richer with this illustrated in some way. The dress of the characters does not stereotypical "look" like traditional Mexican dress which is most realistic for a family living in the United States doing work all day in the corn fields.

The storytelling tradition of elder regaling family around a circle after a hard day's work can be more illustrative of a Mexican family, or rather, not as commonly seen in the European descents that inhabit America today. The idea of community, and extended family that is implied in the same is also representative. Nuclear families who only read for their entertaining stories would be more typical of a White family's experience.

The time period is also something to note. The authors note at the end gives the life time of Tomas Rivera, whom the story is written about. The fact that his experience took place after the Depression, during the beginning days of farm workers unions is important. The story gives no historical context and does not focus on the conditions at the workcamps or in the fields. This is unfortunate because the medium and method could lend a slight introduction to such a context. All in all, it was a well illustrated, simple tale, that felt incomplete, a bit too rosy and shallow.

Review Excerpts
"What an enjoyable realistic fiction story that certainly encourages students to discover the joy of reading. " - Teri Viken at http://www.cedu.niu.edu/%7Ecarger/culture/tomas.html

"A gentle text and innovative artwork" - Publishers Weekly http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780375803499

"Colón'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." - Kirkus Reviews at http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780375803499


Connections
For a series presenting different profiles of librarians and the way they inspire a love of reading, pair this title with two of my favorites:


  • Suzanne Williams' Library Lil' (0803716982)
  • Sarah Stewart's The Library (0374343888)
  • Barbara Joosse's Hot City (0399236406)


For a series focusing on the Mexican American migrant child's experience like Tomas', pair this title with:

For a series focusing on the power of the story and books to inspire the imagination as they did for Tomas, pair Tomas with:


  • David McPhail's Edward and the pirates (0316563447)
  • Michael Garland's Miss Smith's incredible storybook (0142402826)

Additional Information
The author's note at the end of the story gives a brief biography of the real Tomas Rivera, whom this story is inspired by.


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