NAVAJO LONG WALK: THE TRAGIC STORY OF A PROUD PEOPLE'S FORCED MARCH FROM THEIR HOMELAND

Bruchac, Joseph.  Ill. by Shonto Begay.  Navajo Long Walk:  The Tragic Story of a Proud People's Forced March from Their Homeland.  Washington, D.C.:  National Geographic Society, 2002.  ISBN 0-7922-7058-4.


Plot Summary

In 1864, the Navajo Indians were driven from their sacred homeland and forced to walk 470 miles from Fort Defiance/Fort Canby to Fort Sumner/Bosque Redondo Reservation.  They endured unbearable living conditions until they were allowed to return to their homeland in 1868. 

 

 

Critical Analysis

Joseph Bruchac is of Abenaki heritage, and he has authored numerous books on various Native American cultures.  Unfortunately, Bruchac does not provide any historical notes or reference any data to collaborate his story.  Navajo Long Walk:  The Tragic Story of a Proud People's Forced March from Their Homeland is told from the Navajo perspective and is set in New Mexico, with information spanning from 1540-1869.  Bruchac's introduction tells the reader, "we were given two ears so that we may hear both sides of every story." 

The Navajos call themselves "Diné," which means "the People."  "Dinetah" is the name given to their sacred homeland.  The Navajos learned to raise crops and become animal herders.  The term "Navajo" means "people with planted fields."  They were a people who wanted peace and only retaliated when outsiders struck the first blow.  They were unable to convey their peaceful intentions to the army.  The Navajos were not viewed as human beings by General James H. Carleton, who was the New Mexico military commander in the 1860's.  ""An Indian," he wrote, "is more watchful and wary an animal than a deer.  He must be hunted with skill...""  The Navajos call the time of their exile "Nidahadzid daa," which means "Fearing Time."  They were forced to leave their homeland as the army burned down their hogans, their homes made of logs and mud, and killed anyone who dared attempt an escape.  A map of the United States, with the New Mexico territory enlarged, shows the deadly 470 mile trek the Navajos were forced to march from Fort Defiance/Fort Canby to Fort Sumner/Bosque Redondo Reservation, as the army rode on horses or in wagons.

Shonto Begay is of Navajo descent and portrayed such great emotion in his illustrations.  If one only had Begay's illustrations and notes, a very moving story would quickly unfold.  The most interesting aspect of his work are the notes he provides to the reader for his acrylic paintings on clay board.  For example, the first blue and white illustration is of a coyote in the foreground with a long line of people trudging along a path overseen by a man on horseback holding a rifle.  Begay's note explains his work:  "The coyote foresees the hardship and death that lie ahead for the Navajos.  The monochromatic color scheme emphasizes the darkness of this terrible time."  The Navajos are barely distinguishable in this illustration as the darkness of the painting hides their features in its shadows.  In contrast, Begay's last acrylic illustration is much brighter.  The blue and white coyote is again in the foreground.  A circle of Navajos are adorned in breechcloths, moccasin boots, and cloth headbands which secure their long, black hair.  All of the clothing is the same blue and white as the coyote.  There is a lot of yellow, perhaps representational of fire, which illuminates these men with light- or medium-brown skin tones.  Begay's note explains this painting:  "Coyote gently exits the circle, foretelling the Navajos' impending release.  The bright light represents the hope that negotiations with the Peace Commission will be successful."

According to the Tribal Directory website, "The figure of the coyote holds a variety of meanings for Native Americans. In Native American storytelling, the role of a coyote in a story helps to communicate a particular lesson about life to listeners. Native Americans also look to the behavior of the coyote in nature as a guide on how to lead a life of balance and happiness"  (http://www.tribaldirectory.net/articles/coyote-facts.html).  Bruchac says this about the  coyote in the Navajo culture, "Coyote is one of the Navajo Holy People and holds a deeply sacred place in Navajo belief."

In between the hauntingly beautiful acrylic illustrations are watercolor illustrations in brown, black, and white.  It appears that two of the illustrations show a Navajo with either a goatee or mustache, which would not be historically accurate.  Another watercolor illustration shows a Navajo with what appears to be a baseball cap facing backwards.  Surely, this is not the case for an illustration set in the 1800's; however, that is the way it looks.  In the illustrations depicting the Navajos enduring the forced march, they all appear to be wrapped from head to foot in blankets.  This contradicts the text when Bruchac recounts what General Carleton wrote, "The weather was very inclement, with terrible gales of wind and heavy snow.  The Indians were nearly naked."  Putting aside the raised eyebrow over questions of historical accuracy and lack of symmetry with the text, the illustrations portray the devastation felt by this proud people and their determined defiance to overcome the travesty of justice imposed by the white man.

In spite of the hardships and injustices endured by the Navajo people, they banded together and kept the flame of faith alive that one day they would return to the land which was rightfully theirs.  Readers of all cultures can learn from the strength of these Native Americans.  Life may not deal a fair hand, but one must play through to the end.  Never waver.  Never give up.  Stay strong to the end, and always have hope that one day redemption will rise above the horizon.

 

 

Awards and Honors for Joseph Bruchac

 

Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas

Rockefeller Humanities fellowship

NEA Poetry fellowship

 

 

Review Excerpts

“In the 1860s, thousands of Navajo were forced to relocate from their sacred land in western New Mexico to the Bosque Redondo Reservation hundreds of miles to the east; the story of that relocation is recounted here through text fiercely sympathetic to the Indians' plight and through a gallery of metaphor-rich paintings rendered in powerful jabs and swirls of densely applied acrylics." ~ Elizabeth Bush, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, March 2002

"Together the words and pictures reveal not victims, but the strong community and culture that helped the Navajos survive atrocity and return home.” ~ Hazel Rochman, Booklist, May 1, 2002

"Historical background that led to this event is carefully detailed, recounting the harsh treatment and broken treaties. With restraint and a straightforward style, Bruchac tells of the 470-mile march through inclement weather with scant food, and Indians "nearly naked...and dying from dysentery."" ~ Beverley Fahey, Children's Literature

Other Books Written by Joseph Bruchac

Raccoon's Last Race:  A Traditional Abenaki Story, illustrated by James Bruchac
The Boy Who Lived with Bears:  And Other Iroquois Stories, illustrated by Murv
     Jacob
The First Strawberries:  A Cherokee Story, illustrated by Anna Vojitech

Visit his website for more information:  http://josephbruchac.com/


Book Connections

A Rainbow at Night:  The World in Words and Pictures by Navajo Children by
     Bruce Hucko
The Unbreakable Code by Sara Hoagland Hunter and illustrated by Julia Miner

Sing Down the Moon by Scott O'Dell


Connection Activities

 

• Watch clips about the Navajo Long Walk provided by PBS.org:  http://www.pbs.org/pov/sunkissed/video-the-long-walk-navajo.php#.VE2bmbstDmI. 
• Gain a greater appreciation for the contributions the Navajo people have made to society by listening to interviews with actual Navajo Code Talkers or by watching a video describing the history of the Navajo Code Talkers in WWII:  http://navajocodetalkers.org/. 

CROSSING BOK CHITTO: A CHOCTAW TALE OF FRIENDSHIP & FREEDOM

Tingle, Tim.  Ill. by Jeanne Rorex Bridges.  Crossing Bok Chitto:  A Choctaw Tale of Friendship & Freedom.  El Paso, Texas:  Cinco Puntos Press, c2006.  ISBN 978-0-938317-77-7.


Plot Summary

Martha Tom, a young Choctaw Indian, ventures across the Bok Chitto River.  She befriends Little Mo, a young African American enslaved boy, and later helps his entire family escape from slavery.

  

Critical Analysis

Tim Tingle is a member of the Choctaw tribe and gives a brief history of his people in the back of Crossing Bok Chitto:  A Choctaw Tale of Friendship & Freedom.  The story takes place prior to the Civil War in Mississippi, along the Bok Chitto River.  On one side of the river the Choctaw Indians lived in wood-framed houses with stone chimneys.  On the other side of the river lived the plantation owners and their slaves.  The slaves also lived in wood-framed houses with stone chimneys.  If a slave was able to get across the Bok Chitto River he would be a free man.  In Tingle's notes, he visited with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and, during that trip, he saw a house which was once owned by Choctaw Indians who helped slaves gain their freedom.  Tingle mentioned there is a long history of the Choctaw people helping slaves.  Today, according to Tingle, there are many African Americans who have a mixed heritage with the Choctaw Indians.

Tingle uses simple phrases to evoke emotion and help the reader experience what the character felt.  For example, "Little Mo heard the sound of chanting.  He thought it must be the heartbeat of the earth itself."  Another example would be when Martha Tom was discovered listening to the secret slave service in the woods.  "She looked up to see the biggest man she had ever seen, his chest so big it was about to pop the buttons off his shirt!"  Little Mo's father tells his son how to be "invisible" to the plantation owners as he helps Martha Tom find her way back home.  "You move not too fast, not too slow, eyes to the ground, away you go!"  When Little Mo's mother is about to be torn away from her family, these words are repeated from son to father, and they spur the family to take action in an attempt to escape across the Bok Chitto River.  "They walked into the circle of lanterns, but the light shone right through them."

The illustrations are by Jeanne Rorex Bridges, who is of Cherokee ancestry.   She paints in an Oklahoma Flat Style.  "In the Oklahoma Flat Style, you apply solid color in the shape of what you’re drawing. Think, for example, of a woman in a blanket. To create that initial shape, you must understand the position of her shoulders, her arms and back under the blanket. Pure Indian art would only allow fine lines of another color and/or gradual changes of flat colors to “shade” the blanket. Over the years, I have developed my own style by keeping the basic Flat Style while adding background work and shading. I have always mixed my own colors from tube paints because I like lots of color but muted, softer colors," according to Bridges (http://www.cincopuntos.com/artists_detail.sstg?id=12).  Bridges uses a lot of browns and grays in her illustrations.  All of the illustrations have a very warm, subdued tone.

Bridges' illustrations show Martha Tom in a reddish-brown prairie dress, tan pinafore with a large bow tied in the back, and tan moccasins.  The men are dressed in tan cotton or linen shirts and brown pants with either moccasins or moccasin boots.  The women are dressed for a wedding.  They all have on long, flowing white robes.  One is cinched with a leather belt, one is tied with a white bow, one has a waist-length white cape over hers, and Martha Tom's mother has a white shawl with brown polka dots over hers.  Their hair is black and long which is either worn loose or is braided.  All of the men are clean shaven.  The skin tones are a very light-brown to a medium-brown complexion.

Little Mo, or Moses, is dressed in a tan shirt and brown pants with no shoes.  His dad has a black coat over his tan shirt, brown hat, brown pants, and lace-up black boots. His mother is wearing a brown with red polka dotted prairie dress, tan pinafore, and a multi-colored head wrap.  The other members shown in the congregation are dressed similarly.  The hair is either covered or worn in a short afro hair style.  All of the men are clean shaven.  The skin tones are a medium-black to a dark-black complexion.

The plantation owners' outfits are more colorful with four of the six dressed in purple.  The women are in long floor-length dresses.  The men have on knee-length boots, pants, shirts, velvet-looking coats or capes, and have various weapons:  a whip, a knife, and a long rifle.  The women have their hair tied in a bun at the nape of their necks.  The men's free-flowing hair is about shoulder-length and all of them have either a beard or goatee.  The skin tones are pale to an olive complexion.

Throughout the story, Tingle subtly emphasized that, although Martha Tom and Moses were from two different cultures, they had similar thoughts and feelings.  When Martha Tom happened upon the forbidden slave church, she heard the people sing with music she had never heard before.  As she visited Little Mo's church services over the years, she would sing the songs in English with the congregation and then sing the songs in Choctaw on her way back home.  "Nitak ishtayo pikmano; Chissus ut minitit.  Umala holitopama; Chihot aya lashke!  We are bound for the Promised Land!"  Little Mo heard music he had never heard before when he visited Martha Tom's village.  During the wedding ceremony, the Choctaws sang this song:  "Way, hey ya hey ya; You a hey you ay; A hey ya a hey ya!  Way, hey ya hey ya; You a hey you ay; A hey ya a hey ya!"  Both Martha Tom and Little Mo were deeply touched by the music they heard from each other's culture.

Crossing Bok Chitto:  A Choctaw Tale of Friendship & Freedom is a Choctaw story that has been passed down from generation to generation.  It is truly a story of friendship and the breaking down of racial and cultural divides in order to help our fellow man.  Readers of all ages and cultures can appreciate this historically-inspired tale, and perhaps be encouraged to look beyond our differences to see how much the different cultures in the world have in common.

Awards and Honors

 

American Indian Youth Literature Award, 2008 Winner Picture Books United
    States

Anne Izard Storytellers' Choice Award, 2007 Winner United States

Best Children's Book, 2007 Winner United States

Friends of the Austin Public Library, 2007 Winner Best Children's Book United
    States

Oklahoma Book Award, 2007 Winner Children Oklahoma

Oklahoma Book Award, 2007 Winner Design and Illustration Oklahoma

Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, 2007 Winner Grades 4-6 United States
Skipping Stones Honor Award, 2007 Winner Multicultural and International
     Awareness Books United States
Teddy Children's Book Award, 2006 Winner Short Work Texas 

 
 

Review Excerpts

“In a picture book that highlights rarely discussed intersections between Native Americans in the South and African Americans in bondage, a noted Choctaw storyteller and Cherokee artist join forces with stirring results." ~ Jennifer Mattson, Booklist, April 15, 2006

"Crossing Bok Chitto is very highly recommended for all young readers as a celebration of diversity, acceptance, and unity in a remarkable production of expert authorship and invaluable illustrations.” ~ Midwest Book Review, July 2006

"Tom Tingle, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, tells a very moving story about friends helping each other and reveals a lesser-known part of American History: Native Americans helped runaway slaves." ~  Elizabeth Fronk, Children's Literature


Other Books Written by Tim Tingle

Saltypie:  A Choctaw Journey from Darkness Into Light, illustrated by Karen
     Clarkson
Walking the Choctaw Road
When Turtle Grew Feathers:  A Folktale from the Choctaw Nation, illustrated by
     Stacey Schuett

Visit his website for more information:  http://www.timtingle.com/


Book Connections

When I Crossed No-Bob by Margaret McMullen
The Choctaw:  Stickball Players from the South by Rachel A. Koestler-Grack

The Devil's Highway by Stan Applegate and illustrated by James Watling


Connection Activities

• Lead a book discussion using the study guide questions from the Cinco Puntos Press located at:   http://www.cincopuntos.com/pdf/crossing_bok_chitto_guide.pdf. 
• "Basket weaving was an important part of the Choctaw culture. Have students create their own baskets that weave together the past and present. Have them cut out strips of paper. They should write facts about the cultural information of the Choctaw Indians on some of the paper and facts about their own culture on others. Have them put these strips of paper together to create a basket. Explain the similarities and differences of the cultures to the class."  This activity is from "Cultural Activities & Games on the Choctaw" by Jen Marx, eHow contributor.
  Read more:  http://www.ehow.com/info_8443095_cultural-activities-games-choctaw.html.

JINGLE DANCER

Smith, Cynthia Leitich.  Ill. by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu.  Jingle Dancer.  New York:  Morrow Junior Books, 2000.  ISBN 0-688-16242-8.


Plot Summary

Jenna, who lives in Oklahoma, is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and is also of Ojibway (Chippewa/Anishabe) descent.  She dreams of dancing the Jingle Dress at the next powwow but she must first figure out how to get four rows of jingles so her dress can sing.

 

 

Critical Analysis

Jenna lives in Oklahoma in a contemporary intertribal community.  Her dream is to dance the Jingle Dress at the next intertribal, or Pan-Indian, powwow.  The problem is Jenna has no jingles for her dress.  Smith's notes in the back of the book are very helpful in understanding the significance of the dance and its regalia.  In Jingle Dancer, Jenna must figure out how to get four rows of jingles to sew onto her dress.  Four is a very meaningful number in the American Indian culture.  Smith's notes explain "many Native people believe that it is an important, even sacred number symbolizing, for example, the four directions, four seasons, four stages of life, and four colors of man." 

 

Smith is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) tribe.  From her heritage, she can describe how young Jenna, from the same tribe, values the spiritual significance of participating in the Jingle Dress dance and the regalia used in the dance.  Smith explains the difference between regalia and a costume. Some people wear special clothes for meaningful occasions such as a bride in her wedding dress, in the same way, a jingle dress is worn when dancing the Jingle Dress.  In the glossary, the regalia is defined as "the highly valued clothing and accessories of a dancer, not to be confused with a costume.  Regalia is sometimes handed down from one generation to the next.  Years are often spent bringing together the various pieces, all of which are handmade.  They carry spiritual significance."  A jingle dress has hundreds of jingles sewn into the fabric or on ribbons attached to the dress.  "The regalia may also include a scarf, cuffs, a bag or pouch carried in the left hand, an eagle wing or tail fan carried in the right hand, a conch or beaded belt, and boots or moccasins with leggings."  In the watercolor illustrations, the girls dancing the Jingle Dress have either a solid or multi-colored dress with attached jingles, a scarf, a feather fan in their right hand, a beaded belt, leggings, and moccasins.  

 

When not at the powwow,  Jenna is dressed in a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers.  The other characters are dressed in blouses and skirts.  Mrs. Scott's accessories have the only cultural markings which are a matching barrette and earring set with geometrical designs.  Jingle Dancer is set in the present day.  As Jenna visits various houses in her intertribal community in Oklahoma, the only cultural décor detected was a dream catcher in Cousin Elizabeth's apartment.  Elizabeth is a lawyer, not a stereotypical American Indian female waiting for the hunters to return from the field.  Smith and the illustration team of Van Wright and Hu were successful in depicting these tribal members just as one would show any average American.  There are no stereotypical American Indians who live in teepees and wear leather outfits.  Nor do the characters speak in guttural tones:  they speak just like everyone else.

 

The various times of the day are poetically personified:  "as Moon kissed Sun good night," "as Sun fetched morning," and "as Sun caught a glimpse of Moon." The reader can hear the rhythm as "Jenna's heart beats to the brum, brum, brum, brum of the powwow drum."  Jenna provides her own transportation as her "bounce-steps crunched autumn leaves."  On two occasions, Jenna enjoys some fry bread with honey, and selling Indian tacos are mentioned as well. 

 

Jenna needs four rows of jingles.  As she visits the various houses of Great-aunt Sis, Mrs. Scott, Cousin Elizabeth, and Grandma Wolfe, she only asks to borrow one row of jingles from each person.  She didn't want to ask each person for more than one row of jingles because she didn't want their dresses to "loose their voice."  Elders are respected by all tribal members, as shown by Jenna's conscientious lack of greed.  Instead of asking one person for all four rows of jingles, she respected their own need for jingles and only asked for the bare minimum.

 

The character's skin tones are a yellowish-brown to a medium-brown shade.  They all have long black hair which is secured with a headband, barrette, or braids.  The watercolor illustrations have a blue, green, or yellow background.  These three colors are dominate throughout the illustrations, and red is used for emphasis such as the red in Grandma Wolfe's jingle dress or the red nail polish Cousin Elizabeth is wearing.

 

Great-aunt Sis retold a Muscogee Creek story about Bat.  The animals come to life in the story.  "Although other animals had said he was too small to make a difference, Bat won a ball game by flying high and catching a ball in his teeth."  Smith explains the significance to the entire family when a girl is old enough to dance the Jingle Dress.  "A new dancer is a cause for joy and for her family to have a small "giveaway" to honor her.  Fine gifts are given not  to the person being honored but to others instead.  The giveaway shows humility before the Creator, generosity, and pride in the honoree."

 

Readers are shown the importance of respecting one's culture and respecting those around you.  Regardless of how old, young, small, or big, respect is to be shown to yourself, your family, your community, and to your heritage.

 

 

Awards and Honors

 

Oklahoma Book Award, 2001 Finalist Children/Young Adult Oklahoma

 

 

Review Excerpts

“As Sun fetched morning, Jenna danced east...." Even on a cursory first reading Smith's words sing, in this warm little tale of a child seeking to dance herself a place. In conjunction with the glowing illustrations, Jingle Dancer reads like a visual poem." ~ Uma Krishnaswami, Children's Literature

"There are lyrical turns of phrase in this picture book about a contemporary Mucogee/Ojibway child who achieves her dream with love and support from her elders. Jenna, her family, and friends all embrace cultural traditions while living contemporary lives, as the full-page watercolor illustrations emphasize.” ~ Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices, 2001

"Smith, a mixed-blood member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, convincingly juxtaposes cherished Native American tradition and contemporary lifestyle in this smooth debut." ~  Publisher's Weekly


Other Books Written by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Rain is Not My Indian Name
Indian Shoes, illustrated by Jim Madsen
Holler Loudly, illustrated by Barry Gott

Visit her website for more information:  http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/


Book Connections

The Great Ball Game:  A Muskogee Story retold by Joseph Bruchac and illustrated
     by Susan L. Roth

The Butterfly Dance by Gerald Dawavendewa

Creek History and Culture by Amy Stone


Connection Activities

 

• "When Jenna visits her Great-aunt Sis she tells her the story about Bat (again). Is there a story you love to hear told to you? What is it? Retell the story to one of your classmates, so they can share it, too."  This activity is from Cynthia Leitich Smith's website and is found at:  http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/cyn_books_forkids/jingle/jingle_multi-intell.html.
• Listen to six Jingle Dress songs from the Chippewa-Cree tribe Rocky Boy Singers. Grass Dance & Jingle Dress Songs - Volume 2 is available at http://www.indianhouse.com/music/Northern-Plains/Rocky-Boy-Singers-Grass-Dance-and-Jingle-Dress-Songs-Volume-2_IH.4403.  

UNDER THE MESQUITE

McCall, Guadalupe Garcia.  Under the Mesquite.  New York:  Lee & Low Books Inc., 2011.  ISBN 978-1-60060-429-4.

Plot Summary

Lupita and her seven siblings must learn to survive when their mother is diagnosed with cancer.  She also struggles with finding her identity as a native of Mexico who has been uprooted and transplanted into the United States.

 

 

Critical Analysis

Under the Mesquite is divided into six sections.  This story is based on McCall and her family.  McCall, aka Lupita, narrates the story from the time she is a freshman in high school until she arrives at her college campus.  It is hard to imagine that Under the Mesquite is McCall's debut novel.  The words in her verse novel fall from the pages with the power of a waterfall but as sweet as the morning dew.  Lupita's story is one of triumph in spite of tragedy.  She used theatre classes and poetry writing to help her cope with her mother's cancer and subsequent death.  When her drama teacher told Lupita that she was a natural because she could cry on cue, she vehemently disagreed.  "I'm not faking it, Mr. Cortés.  My life's a nightmare -- that's why I can cry when I act."

When Lupita was eight years old, her family moved from Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico to Eagle Pass, Texas, United States.  Her father had worked in the U.S. for many years and he brought his family over the border to create a better life for them.  He and Lupita would practice their English together, "words that tasted like lemon drops, tart and sweet at the same time."

Life seemed to be going well for Lupita's family.  Lupita's Mami thought that eight children were a blessing from God.  "To her, bebés are like pennies from heaven.  The more you have, the richer you become."  Up until this moment in time, the worst Lupita had to endure was living in the same house as her five younger sisters.  Her mother had to put them in time-out when their squabbles reached a deafening crescendo.  Lupita described it this way, "six sisters would do penance in separate closets, teary eyes closed, praying for someone we could get along with."

It is implied that Lupita and her family are devote Catholics because Lupita attends confirmation and makes a deal with God to surrender her life to him if He will save her mother.  Lupita vows to become a nun, but her mother won't allow her to join the convent.  Later, Lupita, Papi, and her siblings go to "la iglesia" and say a prayer for Mami. 

The cultural markers include a vast array of words such as:  "telenovela," "ratoncita," "secretos," "tesoro," "los Estados Unidos," "El Águila," "mi amor," "comadres," "Diosito," "abuelito," "mercado"...the list could go on, and on, and on.  McCall included a 14-page glossary in the back of her book entitled "Names, Spanish Words, and Cultural References."  This would be very beneficial for readers who are unfamiliar with the culture and language of Mexico. 

The food and beverages McCall described are as colorful as the "matachines" who perform during the holiday parades in Mexico.  "Napales en salsa," "agua de tamarindo," "chocolaty gravy of mole on a bed of Spanish rice," "pínole," "testales," and "los elotes calientes" which are "muy rico y picoso."

The only music mentioned was a harmonica and the two songs "Las mañanitas" and "Los tres cochinitos."  The mode of transportation was an old blue Ford pickup.  McCall describes the skin tones of some of her characters:  Lupita sees herself as "a bronzed mermaid," Mami's skin "is a darker, richer brown," Papi is "güero," and the boys are as "dark as old pennies."  Mami wears her long, dark hair plaited.  Abuelita covers her head and shoulders with a "mantilla."   

When her mother is about to be released from the hospital, her father buys Mami "a blue linen dress embroidered with dozens of calla lilies, their white petals folded demurely as if in prayer, and all around them hundreds of turtledoves."  Lupita describes the normal dress of a Mexican-American teenager as jeans and tennis shoes.  After she has passed her "quinceañera," Lupita is not pleased that she must dress in pantyhose and two inch heels.  She feels that she has lost herself and doesn't know who she is anymore.  "Señorita is a niña, the girl I used to be, who has lost her voice."

In addition to trying to find her way as she nears adulthood, her peers question her new-found American accent.  She doesn't understand how they think she is any less Mexican because she no longer speaks with a Spanish accent.  "Changing how I talk doesn't change who I am, I know where I came from...I couldn't be more Mexican if you stamped a cactus on my forehead."

Her mother's sickness put a tremendous load on the entire family.  Lupita encourages her father to take her mother to Galveston for treatment while she takes care of her seven younger siblings.  Lupita's father is not so sure that would be a good idea.  He thinks Lupita's task will be as easy as "pouring a truckload of wet concrete through a six-inch sieve."  When Lupita's friend told her people with cancer will die, she is in denial that this will be the fate of her beloved Mami.  However, Lupita does not forget what her friend has said, and Lupita recalls, "her words rattle around in my head like an old dime tumbling down an empty well."  McCall eloquently put the emotional strain into words when describing the pain Lupita and her father were going through.  When her father reacted in anger, Lupita knew the anger was not directed at her.  "So when I feel his anger blowing my way, I hold my breath and try to see through it.  But then the smoke burns my eyes till they start to water, and I know it's time to move -- find a clear spot away from the smoldering coals."  Lupita also described her own inner torture as death moved closer to her mother's side.  "Waiting for La Muerte to take Mami is like being bound, lying  face up on the sacrificial altar of the god Huitzilopochtli, pleading with the Aztec priest, asking him to be kind while he rips out my heart."

McCall's story can be very healing to readers who have lost a loved one or have tried to fit into a new culture.  All can feel the heartache Lupita endured as she watched her mother slowly succumb to her cancer.  In spite of her loss, Lupita managed to find fresh hope and began a new chapter in her life.  Readers who are currently struggling through a dark time in their young lives can cling to the idea that all is not lost.   Hope is on the horizon.  In the words of Papi, "you have to start living again."

Awards and Honors

 

Pura Belpré Award, 2012 Winner Author United States

Américas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature, 2012 Honor
     Book United States

Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award, 2013 Winner Texas,
     United States

Notable Book for a Global Society, 2012

William C. Morris Award, 2012 Finalist United States

Choices, 2012 Cooperative Children's Book Centre

Kirkus Best Young Adult Books, 2011 Kirkus

Notable Children's Books, 2012 ALSC American Library Association

YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, 2012 American Library Association

YALSA Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults, 2012

 

 

Review Excerpts

“The mesquite tree is resilient; it survives the harshest of climates and its roots can survive even when torn from the ground. It is an appropriate symbol in this story, told in verse, of Lupita.  Young readers will find a sister in Lupita and will remember her words long after finishing the book..” ~ Emily Rozmus, Library Media Connection, Jan/Feb 2012

"This book will appeal to many teens for different reasons, whether they have dealt with the loss of a loved one, aspire to write and act, are growing up Mexican American, or seeking their own identity amid a large family.” ~ Jill Heritage Maza, School Library Journal, October 2011 

 

"This story is filled with ideas concerning self and cultural identity, grief, and the strength of family. Lupita is a smart, compassionate character with which readers will quickly identify and sympathize.” ~ Amanda Fensch, Voice of Youth Advocates, October 2011


Other Books Written by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Summer of the Mariposas

Visit her website for more information:  www.guadalupegarciamccall.com/


Book Connections

Parrot in the Oven:  Mi Vida:  A Novel by Victor Martinez
Angels Ride Bikes and Other Fall Poems by Francisco X. Alarcaon
Confetti:  Poems for Children by Pat Mora


Connection Activities

• Listen to the following poetry podcasts by Guadalupe Garcia McCall:  "A Mesquite in the Rose Garden," "Making Tortillas," "Swimming the Rio Grande," and "Uprooted."  These poetry podcasts and a photo album of the "real" Lupita can be found on the Lee and Low website:  https://www.leeandlow.com/books/391/hc/under_the_mesquite.
• Write a poem about how you would feel if your family moved to a different country and you had to learn a new language. 

THE SURRENDER TREE: POEMS OF CUBA'S STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM

Engle, Margarita.  The Surrender Tree:  Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom.  New York:  Henry Holt and Company, 2008.  ISBN 978-0-8050-8674-4.

Plot Summary

The oppression of the Cuban people at the end of the 19th century is described through the eyes of historical figures such as Rosario Castellanos Castellanos and her husband José Francisco Varona.  Three wars and the hardships endured by the Cuban people are outweighed by the unselfish acts of Rosa la Bayamesa.

 

 

Critical Analysis

The Surrender Tree:  Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom is divided into five sections:  "The Names of the Flowers 1850-51," "The Ten Years' War 1868-78," "The Little War 1878-80," "The War of Independence 1895-98," and "The Surrender Tree 1898-99."  Engle uses free verse as her characters narrate the story, from their perspective, of Cuba's appalling history.  The author's notes at the beginning of  her book give the reader a glimpse of what atrocities lie ahead:

"On February 16, 1896, Cuban peasants were ordered to leave their farms and villages.  They were given eight days to reach "reconcentration camps" near fortified cities. 
Anyone found in the countryside after eight days would be killed.

My great-grandparents were two of the refugees."

 

Engle includes a historical note in the back of the book which explains that, with the exception of Silvia and the oxcart driver, the characters include key figures in the history of Cuba.  Engle used the diaries of soldiers and war correspondents upon which to base her characters.  No one knows exactly what happened, so Engle freely admits she did use her own imagination in weaving the thoughts and actions of her characters.  A timeline of Cuba's history from 1810-1902 and a list of 13 references further show the research Engle used to create her novel in verse. 

Engle does not state why she chose to tell Cuba's story through free verse instead of prose.  Perhaps it was to better see the beauty of life through the eyes of Rosa.  As she gathers herbs in the forest, she says "every leaf is a heart-shaped moment of peace."  Or maybe Engle's imagery helps the reader to feel the unquenchable hatred of war and greed through the eyes of Lieutenant Death.  When Rosa treats Lieutenant Death after he fell out of a tree, all he can think about is selling the information of her whereabouts "for many smooth round coins of gold."  Engle's word choice flows throughout the story and allows the reader to see the forest, feel the fear of the rebels, and taste the bitter-sweetness of winning a war without gaining the victory of freedom.

Many times Engle included the English translation of the cultural words she chose to use.  Occasionally, readers had to infer from the text the meaning of the words.  Cultural markers include the use of the words "cimarrones," "pesos," "Domingo"  (Sunday), "Dios Da" (God Gives), "El Médico" (The Doctor), "La Madre" (The Mother), "guijes" (mermaids), "Teniente Muerte" (Lieutenant Death), "alto" (halt), "quién vive" (who lives), "cuidado" (beware), "majá" (snakes), and "Pacífico"  (Peaceful One).  Locations mentioned include "Mira-Cielo" (Look-at-the-sky), "Silencio" (Silence), "Soledad" (Loneliness), "La Bruja" (The Witch),  "Manteca," and "Bayamo."

Enslaved tribes included the Congo, Arará, Carabalí, Bibí, and Gangá.  In addition to Cuban and African slaves, there were Chinese, Indians, and Irish slaves and indentured servants as well.  It is pointed out that many people thought the slaves were only dark-skinned, but there were also light-skinned slaves.  Other than mentioning some were light and some were dark, specific skin tones were not highlighted.  Rosa learned the languages of many people including "the words of African and native Cuban Indian tribes, and all the dialects of the provinces of Spain."  Later, when helping the U.S. soldiers, she learns some English.

The Cuban musical instruments included conch-shell trumpets, bamboo flutes, rattles, drums, and whistles.  As far as hair styles, some are mentioned as having long, black hair while others had light hair.  The rebel's dress is not mentioned except to say they went barefoot and wore woven hats.  Rosa wears a padded amulet to protect her heart from the soldier's bullets.  "The Spanish soldiers dress in bright uniforms, like parakeets."   They also wear a red tassel on their hats which they believe will protect them from Rosa's "evil eye." 

The foods mentioned eaten by the poor included cornmeal, wild yams, river turtles, wild honey, wild flowers, and roots.  The peasants and slaves can only dream of ajiaco stew, which was a savory combination of meats and vegetables.  This was opposed to what the rich man ate:  meat, fowl, fruit, coffee, chocolate, and cream.

Engle does not shy away from the horrors of what the people of Cuba endured.  Many times the slaves ran away from their cruel taskmasters only to be caught again or killed by the slave catchers.  Some slaves, unable to bear their life of bondage one more day, chose to commit suicide.  When this happened, the slave owners would cut their bodies into four parts and place the body parts into four separate cages.  These cages would then be hung for all the other slaves to see so it would discourage them from doing the same.  It was thought "a chopped, caged spirit cannot fly away to a better place."  Later, the Cuban peasants are forced to relocate into "reconcentration camps," and their farms are burned by the soldiers.  Many of the peasants are not given enough food to survive in the camps and some of the imprisoned population "are turning into shadows."  In Engle's notes she states, "estimates of the number of Cuban guajiros (peasants) who died in Weyler's "reconcentration camps" range from 170,000 to half a million, or approximately 10 to 30 percent of the island's total population.  In some areas, up to 96 percent of the farms were destroyed." 

Engle's main character is based on Rosario Castellanos Castellanos, known as Rosa la Bayamesa in Cuba.  It was thought by some that she was a witch; however, she and her husband learned to use trees and plants to heal.  She credited God for performing the miracles of healing.  She knew that the healing virtues in the trees and plants were actually miracles "created by the fragrant breath of God."  Rosa helped all people, including her enemies who were trying to kill her.  She never asked for money for her medical services; all she wanted from God was a "peaceful mind."  Freedom to live without the fear of her enemies hunting her down.  They want her dead simply because she has traveled her life's path by "healing her enemies so they will turn into friends."

Readers can learn a great deal from Rosa la Bayamesa and the people of Cuba.  Although one faces overwhelming odds, never give up.  Fight for survival.  Fight for freedom.  Above all, love your enemy and do good to those who despitefully use you.  In doing this, true peace is achieved.


Awards and Honors

 

John Newbery Medal*, 2009 Honor Book United States

Pura Belpré Award, 2009 Winner Author United States

Américas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature, 2009 Winner United
     States

Jane Addams Children's Book Award, 2009 Winner Older Children United
     States
Claudia Lewis Award, 2009 Winner United States
Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, 2009 Honor Book United States

Cybil Award, 2008 Finalist Poetry United States

 

*This book received the first Newbery Honor Medal awarded to a Latino

 

Review Excerpts

“In spite of the hardships described, the story is one of victory, the poetry lyrical, and the characters unforgettable. It is no wonder why Engle has been awarded the Pura Belpré for a second year in a row by the American Library Association.” ~ René Saldaña, Jr., Multicultural Review, Summer 2009

“Engle's haunting poetry explores the themes of oppression, war, and human rights through the lens of one woman's determination to aid refugees from all factions, regardless of race or politics.” ~ Jane López-Santillana, Horn Book Magazine, July/August 2008

 

"Engle's spare free verse gives voice to these characters, and the sequence (divided into five sections, three of them for the three wars of the period) vividly depicts the reality of an existence where hiding and resisting is a norm for half a century.” ~ Deborah Stevenson, Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, May 2008


Other Books Written by Margarita Engle

The Poet Slave of Cuba:  A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano
The Firefly Letters:  A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba
Hurricane Dancers:  The First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck

Visit her website for more information:  www.margaritaengle.com/


Book Connections

Dance, Nana, Dance=Baila, Nana, Baila:  Cuban Folktales in English and
     Spanish by Joe Hayes
Cuba:  After the Revolution by Bernard Wolf
Letters to My Mother by Teresa Caardenas; translated by David Unger


Connection Activities

 

• Take an experience from your own life and write a few lines of poetry to tell the story. 
• In group of 3-4, discuss the following and prepare to give your conclusion to the class:
  
  

  Rosa heals Lieutenant Death after he falls from a tree.  Why does she help him?  Why, even after her help, does he still want to kill her?  Put yourself in the place of Rosa or Lieutenant Death and describe what you would do.
  [Both of these connection activities are based on ideas from the website http://media.us.macmillan.com/discussionguides/9780312608712DG.pdf.  You can view these and many more ideas on the Vamos a Leer:  Teaching Latin America Through Literacy website at http://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/the-surrender-tree/.]

YUM! ¡MMMM! ¡QUÉ RICO!: AMERICA’S SPROUTINGS

Mora, Pat.  Ill. by Rafael López.  Yum!  ¡MmMm!  ¡Qué Rico!:  America’s Sproutings.  New York:  Lee & Low Books Inc., 2007.  ISBN 978-1-58430-271-1.

Plot Summary

Blueberries, chile peppers, chocolate, corn, cranberries, papayas, peanuts, pecans, pineapples, potatoes, prickly pear cactus, pumpkins, tomatoes, and vanilla are fourteen foods described as indigenous to the Americas.  A brief history of each food is given in addition to a haiku, which is a seventeen-syllable poem of Japanese origin.

 

 

Critical Analysis

Did you know that blueberries boiled in milk were once used to make gray paint?  Did you know that papayas can grow as big as twenty pounds?   Did you know that the pods of the tropical cacao tree, from which chocolate is made, were once used as money?  Mora describes the fourteen foods listed in the summary above with a short history of the origin of each one and a very creative and entertaining haiku as well. 

The haiku in Mora's book use the structure and rhythm of the English format of three lines with five, seven, and five syllables respectively.   The lines rarely rhyme as in "laughs when tears fill his eyes, sighs." Throughout Yum!  ¡MmMm!  ¡Qué Rico!:  America’s Sproutings, each haiku continues its steady beat of 5-7-5. Alliteration is used in "leaves sprout silky-snug houses" and "squirts seedy, juicy splatter."  The lines are filled with imagery.  The reader can see the bowl of blueberries which is "heaped with summer."   Many more examples could be shown if not already at the limit of four lines of poetry.  Mora creatively describes the food in such a way to cause each haiku to bring a smile to the reader.  How a person's mouth can be on fire and thinking happy thoughts at the same time is just amazing!
 

The cultural markers include words such as "la cocina," "los dulces," "la luna," and "que rico."  These words are given at the beginning of the book with the English translations.  The different variations of the word "chile" (Spanish), "chili"  (English), and "chilli" (Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs) are explained.  The word "chocolate" comes from the Nahuatl word "xocolatl."  "Maize," "teosinte,"

"piña," "papas," "nopales," and "tunas" are other Latino words mixed throughout the history and origin of Mora's fourteen highlighted foods.

The illustrations by Rafael López are bold and colorful.  Non-human characters such as the sun, the moon, a peanut butter sandwich, and a pineapple are brightly personified.  The skin tones of his human characters vary from a dusky-pink hue to a very dark brown.  Most of the illustrations depict people with black hair; however, there is one red head, one older person with white hair, and a smattering of brunettes.  Apart from one curly-haired boy, the characters have straight hair.  The males have their hair cut above their ears and collar.  The females have long hair which is either free-flowing, braided, in pigtails, or covered with a mantilla.  The only mode of transportation pictured is an old farm truck.  Most of the illustrations are set in the countryside with fruit-producing trees or rows of vegetables in the background.  Except for the astonished look of fright on the face of the girl watching her father breathe chile fire, all of the characters are happy and smiling.  Families are seen enjoying each other's company.  

Readers can appreciate the cultural history and origin Mora describes in Yum!  ¡MmMm!  ¡Qué Rico!:  America’s Sproutings.  The use of haiku also allows them to experience a form of poetry which may not be as familiar to them as other forms of verse.  The bond of family is quite apparent and the idea of happiness, in spite of humble surroundings, is refreshing.  This book is sure to bring a smile to the faces of readers young and old alike.

 

Awards and Honors

Américas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature, 2008 Winner United
     States

Best Children's Book of the Year, 2008 Bank Street College of Education
Notable Children's Books, 2008 ALSC American Library Association
Texas Bluebonnet Nominee, 2009-2010

 

 Review Excerpts

“In this feast of flavors, 14 haiku celebrate the origins of agriculture indigenous to the Americas.  Vivid art reminiscent of the Mexican muralists Rivera and Orozco illustrate each double-page spread.” ~ Lolly Gepson, Booklist, April 15, 2014

“Haiku seems a strange form for an American-centered collection, but Mora works the vivid imagery in lyrics that are pretty lip-smacking in their own sonorous right (the tomato ‘squirts seedy, juicy splatter’), making them tasty candidates for reading aloud.”  ~ Deborah Stevenson, Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, December 2007

“This concept book serves as a delicious introduction to 14 types of food, all of which have their origins in the Americas. The art conveys an infectious sense of fun, as smiling suns and moons beam down upon happy children and animals, along with a trumpet-wielding peanut-butter sandwich and a dancing pineapple.” ~  Marilyn Taniguchi, School Library Journal, 2010

Other Books Written by Pat Mora

Tomás and the Library Lady

Dizzy in Your Eyes:  Poems about Love
A Library for Juana: The World of Sor Juana Inaes

Visit her website for more information:  www.patmora.com/


Book Connections

Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems=Jitomates Risueanos y Otros
     Poemas de Primavera:  Poems by Francisco X. Alarcaon
Gathering the Sun:  An A B C in Spanish and English by Alma Flor Ada
Red Hot Salsa Bilingual Poems on Being Young and Latino in the United States by
     Lori Marie Carlson


Connection Activities
 

• Invite students to create an art piece (watercolor, collage, etc.) incorporating the 14 foods in the book.
• Invite students make a list of 14 of their favorite foods and write a haiku about one. 

[Both of these connection activities are ideas from Pat Mora's website.  You can view these and many more ideas at www.patmora.com/ideas/#yum.]