I, Juan de Pareja

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0374335311 ISBN 13: 9780374335311

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 1965

Winner of the 1966 Newbery Medal
An ALA Notable Book
A New York Times Best Juvenile Book of the Year

Juan is the slave of the great Spanish painter Diego Valazquez and helps his master in his studio by preparing paints and stretching canvases. But Juan is an artist, too: he has taught himself by watching his master's technique. Although such work is forbidden by slaves, Jaun cannot keep his secret any longer.What will happen when the truth is known?
Latino Interest.

About the Author:

Elizabeth Borton de Trevino (1904-2000) was the highly acclaimed author of many books for young people. Born in California, it was her move to Mexico in the 1930s that inspired many of her books, including El Guero: A True Adventure Story and Leona: A Love Story. She won the Newbery Medal in 1966 for I, Juan de Pareja.

From AudioFile:

This 1965 publication won a Newbery Medal and top awards in England and France. De Trevino's masterpiece is enhanced by Ward's glorious narration. The colorful text is presented so artistically that simply listening to all of the different voices and accents is a great pleasure. Juan is an African slave who assists Spanish painter Vel‡zquez and himself becomes an accomplished artist in spite of the prohibition against a slave learning to paint. The diverse European accents, as well as Juan's African speech patterns as a child and an adult, are masterfully recreated. The book closes very interestingly with de Trevino explaining the art of creating a biography. S.G.B. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine