| 2011 Pura Belpré Award Winners Oct 13th 2011, 10:04 The Pura Belpré Award is an annual award that honors “a Latino / Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.†( Pura Belpré Award Site) The 2011 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Eric Velasquez, the illustrator of Grandma's Gift, is the winner of the 2011 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award. The picture book was also written by Eric Velasquez. (Walker Publishing Company, Inc., a division of Bloomsbury Publishing, 2010. ISBN: 9780802720825) Compare prices. “Grandma’s Gift is a personal tale based on Velasquez’s special relationship with his abuela who influenced his dream of becoming an artist. Velasquez’s penchant for details and use of oil on watercolor papers complements his amazing use of color and light to reflect the mood of the characters." “'The committee felt strongly about Velasquez’s accurate, realistic portrayal of the times, the intimate relationship between child and grandmother, and life in El Barrio (Spanish Harlem) as seen through his illustrations,' said Pura Belpré Award Committee Chair Martha M. Walke." "Eric Velasquez is the son of Afro-Puerto Rican parents. He was born in Spanish Harlem, and grew up in Harlem. Eric attended the High School of Art and Design, earning his BFA from the School of Visual Arts in 1983. Eric currently lives and works in Hartsdale, N.Y.†(Source: This quotation and all of that follow come from the January 10, 2011 ALA press release) The 2011 Pura Belpré Author Award Pam Muñoz Ryan, the author of The Dreamer, is the winner of the 2010 Pura Belpré Author Award. Peter SÃs illustrated the book. (Read the review of The Dreamer.) (Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2010. ISBN: 9780439269704) Compare prices. “The Dreamer by Pam Muñoz Ryan, author medal winner, masterfully imagines the magic-filled youth of Chilean Nobel Prize-winning poet Pablo Neruda. Through her skillful use of language inspired by Neruda’s work, Muñoz Ryan weaves this stunning tale of a young boy’s discovery of self and the development of his ideologies and artistic voice." “'The committee felt Muñoz Ryan’s combining of lyrical, minimalistic text with poems in Neruda’s style to reconstruct his life, made for an emotional, joyous, inspiring book,' said Pura Belpré Award Committee Chair Martha M. Walke." "Pam Muñoz Ryan was born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Pam received her BA and Master’s degrees from San Diego State University, and currently lives in North San Diego County." The 2011 Pura Belpré Honor Books for illustration - Amy Córdova, illustrator for Fiesta Babies, written by Carmen Tafolla (Tricycle Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., 2010. ISBN: 9781582463193) Compare prices.
“Fiesta Babies, told in a simple rhyme scheme, is embellished with illustrations done in bold colors and brushstrokes. Pictured is a parade of multicultural babies and toddlers in vibrantly colored costumes singing, dancing and celebrating at a local fiesta." - David Diaz, illustrator of Me, Frida, written by Amy Novesky (Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Abrams, 2010. ISBN: 9780810989696) Compare prices.
"Me, Frida tells the story of newly married Frida Kahlo and her husband, Mexican painter Diego Rivera, and their time spent in San Francisco in 1930. Diaz’s paintings resemble Kahlo’s folkloric style. The charcoal and acrylic paintings created in warm vibrant colors picture detailed cityscapes, landscapes, and building interiors as well as Frida and other figures." - Duncan Tonatiuh, illustrator and author of Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin (Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Abrams, 2010. ISBN: 9780810938724) Compare prices.
“Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin by Duncan Tonatiuh, depicts the lives of two cousins who live in the U.S. and Mexico. Tonatiuh’s mixed-media illustrations, influenced by ancient Mixtec art, show the universality of childhood experiences across borders.â€
2011 Pura Belpré Honor Books for Narration - George Ancona for ¡Olé! Flamenco, illustrated with photographs by the author(Lee & Low Books Inc., 2010. ISBN: 9781600603617) Compare prices.
"¡Olé! Flamenco offers a well-written, non-fiction introductory book on the Spanish art of flamenco, including its history as an expressive art form. Ancona describes flamenco in easy and understandable language for those not familiar with the art form." - Margarita Engle for The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette’s Journey to Cuba (Henry Holt and Company, LLC., 2010. ISBN: 9780805090826) Compare prices. “The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette’s Journey to Cuba introduces Fredrika Bremer. This audacious Swedish woman visited Cuba in 1851 and met Cecilia, an African-born slave. Engle blends fact and fiction, creating Elena, a plantation owner’s daughter, who conspires with Bremer to secure Cecilia’s freedom."
- Enrique Flores-Galbis for 90 Miles to Havana (Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing, 2010. ISBN: 9781596431683) Compare prices.
90 Miles to Havana is based on the author’s experience as one of 14,000 children in Operation Pedro Pan. Moving from Cuba to the refugee camp in Miami, Flores-Galbis’ writing is engaging, fast paced, and colorful with well-developed characters drawn from his personal experiences.
As in previous years, the annual Pura Belpré Award winners and Pura Belpré Honor books are a great resource for parents, teachers, librarians and kids looking for good books that also affirm the Latino cultural experience. See my articles about the Pura Belpré Award and the 2010 Pura Belpré Award winners and Honor books for more information.   | |
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