Frida Maria: A Story of the Old Southwest (Grade 3 Level) - Softcover

Deborah Nourse Lattimore

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0153075309 ISBN 13: 9780153075308

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin School, 1997

Synopsis

Two six-page gatefolds and fresco-like paintings enhance the drama, and the fun, of the strong-willed Frida Mari+a7a's preparations--with her horse, Diablo--for the fiesta, her attempts to please Mama by behaving properly, and her decision concerning a high-stakes race.

About this title

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-A story set in Old California. Frida Maria's mama wants her to behave like a proper se?orita-by learning to sew, cook, and dance. But all Frida can think about is the upcoming Fiesta and riding her uncle's horse Diablo in the great race. She tries to please her mama, but in several humorous episodes, ends up only exasperating her. When the Fiesta finally arrives, Frida impetuously joins the competition; predictably, she not only wins the race, but also the admiration of everyone. In a touching finale, the woman comes to appreciate her daughter's unconventional talents. The humorous and lively text, full of dialogue and sprinkled with Spanish words, reads smoothly. A glossary with pronunciations is included. Lattimore's vivid, textured illustrations, rendered in watercolor and colored pencil in deep, rich, earth and jewel tones over a hand-applied layer of modeling paste, have a frescolike quality. The variation in layout, from full-page paintings, to smaller framed scenes, to a two-page double foldout, adds visual interest. The artist successfully blends elements from early California Mission architecture with lush garden scenes and domestic interiors with flower-filled baskets, pottery, and kitchen implements to give a real sense of time and place. It is refreshing to see such a strong and independent girl in this satisfying picture book.
Lauren Mayer, New York Public Library
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly

Frida Maria, a girl of the Old Southwest, is decidedly a tomboy: though she dutifully attends to lessons in sewing and cooking, she desires only to ride her uncle's horse, Diablo, in the upcoming fiesta. At the celebration, Tio Narizo makes a rash racing bet with a rival but is too slow-moving even to take his mount. Frida Maria impulsively leaps into the saddle and wins both the race and her very proper mother's approval. The appeal of Lattimore's spunky protagonist is dimmed by the narrative, which is both predictable and, in its specifics, highly contrived; the ending, in particular, rests on a series of improbable events. (An author's note somewhat disingenuously nods at the latter flaw: "Although it is not likely that a young girl would have raced with the alcades . . . it is not entirely impossible.") The brightly colored, fresco-like paintings are festive and evocative of time and place; however, even the elaborate double-gatefold spread at the end has a static, frozen quality that accentuates the overall feeling of artifice. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin School
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0153075309
• ISBN 13: 9780153075308
• Binding: Paperback
• Illustrator: Deborah Nourse Lattimore
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40