Erandi's Braids (Picture Puffin Books) - Softcover

Madrigal, Antonio Hernandez

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0698118855 ISBN 13: 9780698118850

Publisher: Puffin Books, 2001

Synopsis

The yellow dress Erandi wants for her birthday will look beautiful with her long, thick braids. But Mama's fishing net is full of holes, and there isn't enough money to buy both a new net and a birthday dress. The only solution lies with the hair buyers from the city. But Mama's hair isn't nearly as beautiful as Erandi's. Will Erandi have to choose between her birthday present and her braids? This touching tale of love and sacrifice is sprinkled throughout with Spanish words and expressions.

About this title

About the Author:

Tomie dePaola (www.tomie.com) is the acclaimed author and/or illustrator of more than 250 books for children. His books range from autobiographical stories to retellings of folktales and legends to original tales, such as the Strega Nona books. The American Library Association said: “His works reflect an innate understanding of childhood, a distinctive visual style, and a remarkable ability to adapt his voice to perfectly suit the story.” Tomie has received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, a Caldecott Honor for Strega Nona, and a Newbery Honor for his autobiographical chapter book, 26 Fairmount Avenue. He was awarded the Smithson Medal, the Regina Medal, was designated a “living treasure” by the state of New Hampshire, and received the 2012 Original Art Lifetime Achievement Award given by the Society of Illustrators. He lives in New London, New Hampshire.

From School Library Journal:

Kindergarten-Grade 3?Set in the Mexican village of Patzcuaro, this is the story of a young girl's selflessness and her mother's tenderness. Excited about her birthday, Erandi hopes for a present, but when her mother worries that their fishing net is worn out, the girl fears that they will not be able to afford a gift. The next day, however, the purchase of a yellow dress sets her heart at ease?until her mother takes her to the barber shop where the braids of the local women are cut off and sold to merchants from the city. There, Erandi fears that her mother will sell her braids, but in the end the child makes her own decision. According to an author's note, this story draws on the practice of the Tarascan women of the Michoacan province of selling their hair for use in making false eyelashes, wigs, and fine embroidery during the 1940s and '50s. While the idea of making sacrifices for the people one loves is universal, the context into which the tale is set makes the whole seem a bit labored. Bordering on the didactic, it is saved by dePaola's signature paintings, which use earth tones and blues to bring the village and the characters to life. Perhaps best used as support for social studies units on Latin America, this tale serves to point out the human ties that cross cultural lines.?Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0698118855
• ISBN 13: 9780698118850
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: DePaola Tomie