La tarjeta de Antonio - Antonios Card, Del Sol Books

Author : Rigoberto Gonzalez, Illustrator : Cecilia Concepcion Alvarez
1st Grade - 4th Grade

La tarjeta de Antonio - Antonios Card

La tarjeta de Antonio - Antonios Card, Hardcover, Bilingual, Book, Rigoberto Gonzalez, Cecilia Concepcion Alvarez, 1st Grade - 4th Grade, 9780892392049, # 10112h, $16.95

2006 IPPY Award, Honorable Mention
2006 Lambda Literary Awards Finalist

Teacher's Guide

"Antonio loves words, because words have the power to express feelings like love, pride, or hurt. Mother's Day is coming soon, and Antonio searches for the words to express his love for his mother and her partner, Leslie. But he's not sure what to do when his classmates make fun of Leslie, an artist, who towers over everyone and wears paint-splattered overalls. As Mother's Day approaches, Antonio must choose whether‹or how‹to express his connection to both of the special women in his life."

Rigoberto Gonzalez's sensitive and lovingly crafted story of Antonio's dilemma will resonate with all children who have been faced with speaking up for themselves or for the people they love. The accompanying acrylic paintings by Cecilia Concepción Álvarez bring Antonio's story to life in tender, richly hued detail.

Rigoberto González was born in Bakersfield, California, and raised in Michoacán, Mexico. The son and grandson of migrant farm workers, he is an award-winning writer of poetry and fiction. Since completing his third university degree, he has worked mostly in New York and primarily with children and young adults as a dance instructor, daycare provider, literacy specialist, and creative writing teacher.

The daughter of a Mexican mother and a Cuban father, Cecilia Concepción Álvarez is a gifted fine artist. Her artwork has been exhibited internationally and featured in a range of publications. Over the past decade, she has focused her creative energies on works of public art. Primarily a painter, Cecilia has also worked extensively with young people. Cecilia has two youbg adult children and lives in Seattle, Washington, with her husband.

"A poignant story about the celebration of family."
—TEACHING TOLERANCE, Spring 2006

"In its bilingual format, this book crosses cultural, language, and generational lines. Families come in many forms, the book demonstrates, and openness to the range of human interaction is vital. Long gone are the days when the only kind of family was the kind with a mom, a dad, and a kid or two or three. Today's families are more diverse and complicated in their make-up, and González depicts this reality with subtlety and insightfulness."
—FOREWORD MAGAZINE

"While homosexual partners are the subtext of the story, the focus is not sexuality but individual difference...Possibly a first of its kind and a worthy leader."
—KIRKUS REVIEWS

School Library Journal : Grade 1-3–Antonio loves his routine–being dropped off at school by his mother in the morning and picked up by her partner, Leslie, in the afternoon. His family, though different from a lot of kids, suits him perfectly. Then some of the children begin to make comments about Leslie's unusual height, her masculine appearance, and her paint-splattered overalls. Antonio withers under the force of this scrutiny, withdraws a bit, and wants to change the routine so that the other children won't see Leslie. Still, even the negative peer pressure cannot keep him from drawing a lovely card for Mother's Day, a card for both of his mothers. When his teacher announces that the cards will be displayed in the lunchroom, the child becomes afraid all over again. It takes sharing a love of art and of family with Leslie for Antonio to feel ready to claim his family publicly. Sensitively written in English, with an excellent translation by Jorge Argueta, the narrative captures the social worries and concerns that children in nontraditional families may experience. The acrylic illustrations are bright and colorful. Unfortunately, they are a bit amateurish in execution, with perspectives flattened and occasional problems with distorted facial features. Regardless, this story deals brilliantly with issues of inclusion.

"This wonderfully crafted story depicts a familiar dilemma for many children as life at home and life at school are often at odds. The author writes a story that invites tolerance and appreciation for difference while celebrating what is also common to everyone, the need for love, family, and acceptance. The illustrations are pleasant and expressive, reminiscent of the portrait work of painter Alice Neel."
—CHILDREN'S LITERATURE NEWSLETTER

"Author Rigoberto González sensitively portrays Antonio's discomfort with the kids' reaction to Leslie, and offers sage advice in the person of Mami, who reminds Antonio, 'We're all a little different from each other. That's what makes each one of us an individual.' Although Mami and Leslie are a gay couple, the story is also that of a multicultural and bilingual household. It's told in full in English and in Spanish, making it useful for bilingual readers or those learning either language. Cecilia Concepción Álvarez's colorful illustrations, with their folk-art sensibility, nicely complement the text."
—ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

"With compassion, author Rigoberto González explores the boy's mixed feelings. . . Through bright acrylic pictures, Cecilia Concepción Álvarez helps bring to affectionate life an alternative family with a good-hearted boy at the center."
—WASHINGTON PARENT

Bilingual Collection Red Books :