Martin de Porres

The Rose in the Desert

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday 

hosted today by a curious thing
and joins It's Monday! What are you Reading? at Teacher Mentor Texts

Clarion Books

(pub. 6.26.2012) 32 pages 

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Gary D. Schmidt

     and Illustrator:  David Diaz

C haracter: Martin de Porres -- patron saint of brotherhood, interracial relations, social justice, those of mixed race, public education, and animal shelters

O verview from the jacket flap: 

      "The illegitimate child of a Spanish nobleman and a former slave, Martin de Porres was born into extreme poverty. Barred from the priesthood, he joined the Dominican Order as a servant instead. Soon he was performing miracles and healing nobles and beggars alike. As a celebration of his selflessness, he was canonized into the sainthood.

      Journey with this gentle friar as he calmly confronts racial and economic prejudice in seventeenth-century Peru..."

        

T antalizing taste: 

   "Anna Velazquez hurried out of the barrios of Lima and onto the plaza. She carried a quiet baby, wrapped closely so that no one could see him - but no one was looking.

     The slave boys sweeping the plaza saw only the dusty cobblestones.

     The Spanish royals sipping lemon ices saw only their ruby rings.

     And the priests standing on the cathedral steps saw only another beggar, and turned away." 

          

and something more: What a lovely dedication written by David Diaz: "For Lin Oliver and Stephen Mooser, the lamp, lifeboat, and ladder to so many." I echo that sentiment. In 1971, Lin and Stephen co-founded SCBWI, the organization for children's book writers and illustrators. SCBWI now has over 18,000 members! I've heard both of them speak several times at various conferences, including the national conference in Los Angeles the past two summers, and they are wonderful -- inspiring, encouraging, entertaining.  Not only are Lin and Stephen the Executive Director and President of SCBWI, respectively, they are also prolific authors. I can't wait to hear them speak again at this year's SCBWI conference. A heartfelt thank you to Lin Oliver and Stephen Mooser and everyone who works and volunteers for SCBWI! You've made such a difference in so many lives and careers, including mine.

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Me, Frida

Abrams Books for Young Readers (pub. 10.1.2010)

32 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top
 

A uthor:  AMY NOVESKY

               and Illustrator:  DAVID DIAZ

C haracters:

Frida Kahlo, an artist from Mexico

Diego Rivera, Frida’s husband
                        and an artist from Mexico

O verview from the jacket flap:

    “Like a tiny bird in a big city, Frida Kahlo feels lost and lonely when she first arrives in San Francisco [California in 1930] with her husband, the famous artist Diego Rivera ... Frida wants to be a painter, too.

     But as Frida begins to explore San Francisco on her own, she discovers more than ... beauty, diversity, and exuberance ...  Frida finds the inspiration she needs ...
     Me, Frida is an exhilarating story that encourages young readers to believe in themselves so they can make their own dreams soar."
 

T antalizing taste: 

"She took a ferry across the Golden Gate and walked
in the green headlands high above the ocean.
     For there, she could see the entire glittering
city and all it held, including Diego.  It was small
enough to fit on the wing of a bird.
     For once, Frida felt larger than life.  Me, Frida!
     She felt like she could fly."

and something more:  The Author's Note in the new children's picture book biography, Me, Frida, includes a reproduction of Frida Kahlo's painting, Frieda [as she sometimes spelled her name] and Diego Rivera.  If you ever have the chance, be sure to visit the painting at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (usually displayed on the second floor) and check out the interactive multimedia about Frida Kahlo on the SFMOMA website (in English and Spanish).

     When I was a docent at SFMOMA, I always included this painting in my tours for school groups.  Be sure to compare the size of Frida's shoes and Diego's shoes -- not true to life, but instead echoing Amy Novesky's lyrical text: "She painted Diego big, and she painted herself small, just as the world saw them."  But, as the story shows, Frida felt "larger than life" and her dreams soared.
     For older readers (ages 12 and up), the book Frida !Viva la vida! Long Live Life! (Marshall Cavendish Children) by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand pairs powerful biographical poems with Frida's artwork (23 paintings). Carmen writes about the painting, Frieda and Diego Rivera:

"Wednesday, August 21, 1929

Coyoacan - Today the marriage
between the elephant and a dove...
Frida Kahlo wore
a Tehuana peasant dress
and a rebozo created by the people
for the people
who belong to the people."

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