Maya's Blanket: La manta de Maya (English and Spanish Edition) - Hardcover

Monica Brown

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0892392924 ISBN 13: 9780892392926

Publisher: Lee & Low Books, 2015

Synopsis

Little Maya has a special blanket that Grandma stitched with her own two hands. As Maya grows, her blanket becomes worn and frayed, so with Grandma s help, Maya makes it into a dress. Over time the dress is made into a skirt, a shawl, a scarf, a hair ribbon, and finally, a bookmark. Each item has special, magical, meaning for Maya; it animates her adventures, protects her, or helps her in some way. But when Maya loses her bookmark, she preserves her memories by creating a book about her adventures and love of these items. When Maya grows up, she shares her book Maya s Blanket/La manta de Maya with her own little daughter while snuggled under her own special blanket. Inspired by the traditional Yiddish folk song Hob Ikh Mir a Mantl ( I Had a Little Coat ), this delightful story puts a child-focused, Latino spin on the tale of an item that is made into smaller and smaller items. Maya s Blanket/La manta de Maya charmingly brings to life this celebration creativity, recycling, and enduring family love.

About this title

About the Author

Monica Brown, is the author of many award-winning bilingual books for children, many of which are inspired by her Peruvian American heritage. Monica is a Professor of English at Northern Arizona University, specializing in U.S. Latino Literature and Multicultural Literature. She lives in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Review

Following the narrative styles of a traditional Yiddish folk song, Maya s Blanket/La manta de Maya tells the story of a child s most beloved possession: her blue and green handmade blanket with purple butterfly stitches. Maya s grandmother made it to protect her from bad dreams. Yet as time passes and the blanket becomes worn and frayed, it is remade into a dress, a skirt, a shawl, and more. Similar to Nancy Andrews-Goebel s The Pot that Juan Built (Lee & Low, 2002), the story repeatedly reminds readers of the creative transformations that Maya and her grandmother employ to turn the beloved blanket into another useful accessory. This book is a great storytime addition for school-aged children due to its sincere and simple writing that translates well in both Spanish and English, the representation of culturally diverse characters, and the underlying message of resourcefulness, imagination, and appreciation for family traditions. Readers will also be entranced by the eye-catching illustrations of Maya s ordinary-to-extraordinary life. Created with mixed media, the graphics are illuminating with rich color and texture. Thanks to the depth of the images and the thoughtful text, readers will thoroughly enjoy wondering what Maya s blanket will be next. VERDICT A Latino-influenced and Yiddish-inspired tale that is recommended for Spanish readers and librarians in diverse communities. --School Library Journal

A familiar tale crosses cultures with almost magical ease. The story is based on the well-known Jewish folk tale in which an old, worn coat is turned into a jacket, then a vest, then a tie, here given a warm, Latino spin. Not only does Brown's text alternate passages in English with sections in Spanish translated by Domínguez, but on some pages, nearly every sentence is written in two languages: "Maya made her manta into a vestido that she loved very much." The effect isn't subtle, and at first, every paragraph feels like a vocabulary lesson. But as the sentences get longer, the language becomes hypnotic. As Maya's blanket is recut and resewn, the words begin to sound like an incantation: "So with her own two hands and Abuelita's help, Maya made her rebozo that was her falda that was her vestido that was her manta into a bufanda that she loved very much." It sounds like a magic spell to preserve the garment for all time. Sometimes spells work: Maya turns the blanket into a story, the same picture book that is in readers' hands. Diaz's beautiful, mixed-media illustrations feel like another sort of magic. The moon looks like a pomegranate. A spinning jump rope looks like water shooting from a fountain. As the book ends, Maya's daughter is sleeping under "her own special, magical manta." Readers may be eager to tell their own versions of the story that's how magic works. --Kirkus Reviews

In a tender bilingual story inspired by a Yiddish folksong, Maya s beloved butterfly-laden blanket, made by her abuelita passes through numerous incarnations. When the blanket frays, Maya and her grandmother fashion it into a dress and, later, a skirt. From there, it becomes a shawl, scarf, bookmark, and a story to pass down. In English and Spanish, Brown describes these transitions using a House That Jack Built structure: So with her own two hands and Abuelita s help, Maya made her vestido that was her manta into a falda that she loved very much. The angular poses and vivid colors of Diaz s illustrations evoke the feeling of stained-glass windows in this uplifting story of passing time, enduring love, and creative reuse. --Publishers Weekly

About this edition

• Publisher: Lee & Low Books
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0892392924
• ISBN 13: 9780892392926
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: David Diaz