Pura Belpré Honor

Year

2008

Narrative Honor: Bernier-Grand, Carmen T. (2007). Frida : viva la vida = long live life. New York : Marshall Cavendish Children/Marshall Cavendish Corp. 811.54 B455f 

Biographical poems about the life and work of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo

2008

Narrative Honor: Deedy, Carmen Agra. (2007). Martina, the beautiful cockroach : a Cuban folktale. (Illustrated by Michael Austin). Atlanta, GA : Peachtree. 398.2 D315m 

In this humorous retelling of a Cuban folktale, a cockroach interviews her suitors in order to decide whom to marry.

2008

Narrative Honor: Montes, Marisa. (2006). Los gatos black on Halloween. (Illustrated by Yuyi Morales). New York : Henry Holt and Company. PRIM-FIC M779ga 

Easy to read, rhyming text about Halloween night incorporates Spanish words, from las brujas riding their broomsticks to los monstruos whose monstrous ball is interrupted by a true horror.

2008

Illustration Honor: Brown, Monica.(2007). My name is Gabito : the life of Gabriel García Márquez. (Illustratedby Raúl Colón). Flagstaff, Ariz. : Luna Rising. 863.64 B879m 

As a boy, Gabito had the ability to imagine many things. He lived in a small house with a large family. He would grow up to become a writer known as Gabriel García Márquez.

2008

Illustration Honor: Gonzalez, Maya Christina.(2007). My colors, my world/Mis colores, mi mundo. San Francisco, Calif. : Children's Book Press. PRIM-FIC G643my 

Maya, who lives in the dusty desert, opens her eyes wide to find the colors in her world, from Papi's black hair and Mami's orange and purple flowers to Maya's red swing set and the fiery pink sunset.

2006

Narrative Honor: Bernier-Grand, Carmen T. (2004). César : sí, se puede! yes, we can! (Ilustrated by David Diaz). New York : Marshall Cavendish. 811.54 B455c 

Stylized illustrations by a Caldecott Medalist accompany lyrical prose and poems in this celebration of the life of Cesar Chavez. This thoughtful and beautiful biography illuminates not only the events that made up the great labor leader's life, but also the ideals and inspiration that are his legacy.

2006

Doña Flor, a giant lady with a big heart, sets off to protect her neighbors from what they think is a dangerous animal, but soon discovers the tiny secret behind the huge noise.

2006

Narrative Honor: Ryan, Pam Muñoz. (2004). Becoming Naomi León. New York : Scholastic Press. INTR-FIC R9893be 

When Naomi’s absent mother resurfaces to claim her, Naomi runs away to Mexico with her great-grandmother and younger brother in search of her father.

2006

Illustration Honor: Delacre, Lulu. (2004). Arrorró mi niño : Latino lullabies and gentle games. (Musical arrangements by Cecilia Esquivel and Diana Sáez). New York : Lee & Low Books. PRIM-FIC A778 

An illustrated collection of nursery rhymes, finger play games, and lullabies from the major Latino groups living in the United States today.

2006

Illustration Honor: Bernier-Grand, Carmen T. (2004). César : sí, se puede! yes, we can! (Illustrated by David Diaz). New York : Marshall Cavendish. 811.54 B455c

Stylized illustrations by a Caldecott Medalist accompany lyrical prose and poems in this celebration of the life of Cesar Chavez. This thoughtful and beautiful biography illuminates not only the events that made up the great labor leader's life, but also the ideals and inspiration that are his legacy.

2006

Illustration Honor: Brown, Monica. (2004). My name is Celia : the life of Celia Cruz = Me llamo Celia : la vida de Celia Cruz. (Illustrated by Rafael López). Flagstaff, Ariz. : Rising Moon. 782.42 B879m 

The life of the Cuban-born salsa queen, Celia Cruz, is told in colorful, storybook style with up-beat rhythms.

2004

Narrative Honor: Osa, Nancy. (2003). Cuba 15 : a novel. New York : Delacorte Press. INTR-FIC O79cu 

Violet Paz, a Chicago high school student, reluctantly prepares for her upcoming "quince," a Spanish nickname for the celebration of an Hispanic girl's fifteenth birthday.

2004

Narrative Honor: Pérez, Amada Irma. (2002). My diary from here to there/Mi diario de aquí hasta allá. (Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez). San Francisco : Children's Book Press. PRIM-FIC P438di 

A young girl describes her feelings when her father decides to leave their home in Mexico to look for work in the United States.

2004

Illustration Honor: Pérez, L. King. (2002). First day in grapes. (Illustrated by Robert Casilla). New York : Lee & Low Books. PRIM-FIC P4385fi 

When Chico starts the third grade after his migrant worker family moves to begin harvesting California grapes, he finds that self confidence and math skills help him cope with the first day of school.

2004

Illustration Honor: Andrews-Goebel, Nancy. (2002). The pot that Juan built. (Pictures by David Diaz). New York : Lee & Low Books. 738 A572p 

A cumulative rhyme summarizes the life’s work of renowned Mexican potter, Juan Quezada. Additional information briefly tells Quezada’s life story and describes the process he uses to create his pots after the style of the Casas Grandes people.

2004

Illustration Honor: Krull, Kathleen . (2003). Harvesting hope : the story of Cesar Chavez. (Illustrated by Yuyi Morales). San Diego : Harcourt. 921 C5123k 

A biography of Cesar Chavez, from age ten when he and his family lived happily on their Arizona ranch, to age thirty-eight when he led a peaceful protest against California migrant workers’ miserable working conditions.

2002

Narrative Honor: Jiménez, Francisco. (2001). Breaking through. Boston : Houghton Mifflin. 921 J562j 

Having come from Mexico to California ten years ago, fourteen-year-old Francisco is still working in the fields but fighting to improve his life and complete his education.

2002

Narrative Honor: Alarcón, Francisco X. (2001). Iguanas in the snow and other winter poems. (Illustrated Maya Christina Gonzalez). San Francisco : Children's Book Press : [Distributed to the book trade by Publishers Group West]. 811.54 A321i 

The magical cycle of the seasons comes full circle with this tribute to winter through a collection of bilingual poems.

2002

Illustration Honor: Montes, Marisa. (2000). Juan Bobo goes to work : a Puerto Rican folktale. (Illustrated by Joe Cepeda). New York : HarperCollins. 398.2 M7795j 

Although he tries to do exactly as his mother tells him, foolish Juan Bobo keeps getting things all wrong.

2000

Narrative Honor: Alarcón, Francisco X. (1998). From the bellybutton of the moon : and other summer poems = Del ombligo de la luna y otros poemas de verano. (Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez). San Francisco, Calif. : Children’s Book Press. 811.54 A321f 

A bilingual collection of poems in which the renowned Mexican American poet revisits and celebrates his childhood memories of summers, Mexico, and nature.

2000

Narrative Honor : Herrera, Juan Felipe. (1998). Laughing out loud, I fly : poems in English and Spanish. (Drawings by Karen Barbour). New York : HarperCollins Publishers. 811.54 H565L 

A collection of poems in Spanish and English about childhood, place, and identity.

2000

Illustration Honor: Ancona, George.(1998). Barrio : José's neighborhood. San Diego : Harcourt Brace. 979.4 A511b 

Presents life in a barrio in San Francisco, describing the school, recreation, holidays, and family life of an eight-year-old boy who lives there. Welcome to Jose’s neighborhood. In his barrio, people speak an easy mix of Spanish and English and sometimes even Chinese. The masked revelry of Halloween leads into the festive remembrances of the Day of the Dead. And murals on the walls and buildings sing out the stories of the people who live here. As familiar as any neighborhood yet as strange as a foreign country, Jose’s barrio isn’t in Mexico or Argentina--it’s in San Francisco. Award-winning author and photographer George Ancona follows Jose through a season in the barrio, and in the process gives readers a glimpse of a community as rich and varied as America itself.

2000

Illustration Honor: Slate, Joseph. (2003, c1998). The secret stars . (Illustrated by Felipe Dávalos). New York : Marshall Cavendish. PRIM-FIC S6317se 

In New Mexico on a rainy, icy Night of the Three Kings, Sila and Pepe worry that the kings will not be able to use the stars to navigate, so their grandmother takes them on a magical journey to see the secret stars all around them.

2000

Illustration Honor: Carling, Amerlia Lau. (1998). Mama and Papa have a store. New York : Dial Books for Young Readers. PRIM-FIC C282MA 

A little girl describes what a day is like in her parents’ Chinese store in Guatemala City.

1998

Narrative Honor: Alarcón, Francisco X. (1999). Laughing tomatoes and other spring poems = Jitomates risueños y otros poemas de primavera. (Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez). San Francisco, Calif. : Children’s Book Press. 811.54 A321L 

A bilingual collection of humorous and serious poems about family, nature, and celebrations by a renowned Mexican American poet.

1998

Narrative Honor: Martinez, Floyd. (1997). Spirits of the High Mesa. Houston, Tex. : Arte Público Press. INTR-FIC M385sp 

In this moving coming-of-age novel set in rural New Mexico, the young protagonist, Flavio, is torn between the seductiveness of progress and new technology and his loyalty to village traditions so steadfastly preserved by his grandfather, El Grande.

1998

Illustration Honor: Garza, Carmen Lomas. (1996). In my family. San Francisco, Calif. : Children's Book Press/Libros Para Niños. 306.85 L839i 

The author describes, in bilingual text and illustrations, her experiences growing up in an Hispanic community in Texas.

1998

Illustration Honor: Jaffe, Nina. (2005). The golden flower : a Taino myth from Puerto Rico. (Illustrated by Enrique O. Sánchez). Houston, Tex. : Piñata Books. 398.2 J23g 

This myth explains the origin of the sea, the forest, and the island now called Puerto Rico.

1998

Illustration Honor: Ada, Alma Flor. (1997). Gathering the sun : an alphabet in Spanish and English. (Illustrated by Simón Silva; English translation by Rosa Zubizarreta). New York : Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books. 861 A191g 

A book of poems about working in the fields and nature’s bounty, one for each letter of the Spanish alphabet.

1996

Narrative Honor: González, Lucía M. (1994). The bossy gallito = El gallo de bodas : a traditional Cuban folktale. (Illustrated by Lulu Delacre). New York : Scholastic. 398.21 G643b 

In this cumulative folktale from Cuba, the sun sets off a chain of events which results in the cleaning of a rooster’s beak in time for his uncle’s wedding.

1996

Narrative Honor: Soto, Gary. (1990). Baseball in April and other stories. San Diego : Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. INTR-FIC S7184ba 

A collection of eleven short stories focusing on the everyday adventures of Hispanic young people growing up in Fresno, California.  Broken chain -- Baseball in April -- Two dreamers -- Barbie -- The no-guitar blues -- Seventh grade -- Mother and daughter -- The karate kid -- La bamba -- The marble champ -- Growing up.

1996

Illustration Honor: Ancona, George. (1993). Pablo remembers : the fiesta of the Day of the Dead. New York : Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books. 393 A542p 

During the three-day celebration of the Days of the Dead, a young Mexican boy and his family make elaborate preparations to honor the spirits of the dead.

1996

In this cumulative folktale from Cuba, the sun sets off a chain of events which results in the cleaning of a rooster’s beak in time for his uncle’s wedding.

1996

Illustration Honor: Garza, Carmen Lomas. (2005, c1990). Family pictures : paintings and stories = Cuadros de familia : cuadros y relatos. San Francisco, Calif. : Children’s Book Press. 305.868 G245f 

Family Pictures is the story of Carmen Lomas Garza’s girlhood: celebrating birthdays, making tamales, finding a hammerhead shark on the beach, picking cactus, going to a fair in Mexico, and confiding to her sister her dreams of becoming an artist. These day-to-day experiences are told through fourteen vignettes of art and a descriptive narrative, each focusing on a different aspect of traditional Mexican American culture. The English-Spanish text and vivid illustrations reflect the author’s strong sense of family and community. For Mexican Americans, Carmen Lomas Garza offers a book that reflects their lives and traditions. For others, this work offers insights into a beautifully rich community. The author describes, in bilingual text and illustrations, her experiences growing up in a Hispanic community in Texas.