Author :
Alma Flor Ada, Illustrator
: Vivi Escriva
1st Grade - 5th Grade
El panuelo de seda
El
panuelo de seda, Hardcover, Spanish, Book, Alma Flor Ada,
Vivi Escriva, 1st Grade - 5th Grade, 9780658013881, Out of
Print :(
Set in the times in which California was
Mexican, this is a story of Discovery, generosity and love.
Anita loves to gaze at the white cranes flying in the sky. A fortunate moment brings her the gift
of a beautiful silk scarf. She
will discover the true meaning of compassion when she sacrifices her greatest
treasure, in order to save the life of a wounded crane.
Author’s Note : This story can inspire discussions on ecology, and has certainly inspired some beautiful letters from children who have read the book, as well as an unforgettable rendition as a play by children from Coral Way Elementary School in Miami-Dade. Since very young I had an abhorrence to hunting. While I could understand it as a need to procure food, the idea of hurting innocent animals has always been very difficult for me. Very early I begged my father to promise me he’d never hunt again –and being the kind-hearted person he was, he agreed, even though having been raised in a cattle ranch hunting was part of his youth. This story was most likely inspired by a poem in Spanish my mother used to recite when I was a child, which began saying something like: “I have just killed a crane/ I must confess it, oh Lord,/ it was flying in the blue serenity…” The awareness that life is a constant choice is also a recurrent theme in my mind. Therefore it’s not strange that it will find its way into a story.
Del Sol Books :
www.delsolbooks.com
Alma Flor Ada : www.almaflorada.com
and almaflorada.blogspot.com
F. Isabel Campoy :
www.isabelcampoy.com and isabelcampoy.blogspot.com
Suni Paz :
www.sunipaz.com