Calling the doves

Juan Felipe Herrera

Book - 1995

In this bilingual autobiography, the Mexican American poet Juan Felipe Herrera describes his childhood in California as the son of migrant workers. The author recalls his childhood in the mountains and valleys of California with his farmworker parents who inspired him with poetry and song. A rich, personal narrative about growing up as a migrant farmworker. Herrera relates how he learned to love the land from his father, and poetry from his mother. He uses lyrical passages to portray everyday life, e.g., the ritual of breakfast: The sky was my blue spoon - the wavy clay of the land was my plate. The colored-pencil and acrylic illustrations are bright and at times fanciful. Simmon's artwork brings to life Herrera's words, which are... printed in both English and Spanish.

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Subjects
Genres
Autobiographies
Literature
Fiction
Published
San Francisco, California : Children's Book Press 1995.
Language
Spanish
English
Main Author
Juan Felipe Herrera (-)
Other Authors
Elly Simmons (illustrator)
Online Access
Cover Image
Physical Description
30 pages : color illustrations ; 26 cm
Audience
Interest age level : Ages 6-8.
Lexile: AD910L.
Awards
Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Book Award, 1997.
ISBN
9780892391325
9780892391660
9781404694965
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Gr. 3^-6, younger for reading aloud. In lyrical and imagistic prose, prominent Mexican American poet Juan Felipe Herrera has written a bilingual memoir of his childhood as the beloved son of migrant farmworkers traveling from harvest to harvest in a truck towing their little square loaf house along the roads winding through the mountains and valleys of California. Embraced by the love of his family, Herrera was set on his own road to becoming a writer. "As the cities came into view, I knew one day I would follow my own road. I would let my voice fly the way my mother recited poems, the way my father called the doves." Composed in the style of robust murals, Simmons' lushly colored, creamy illustrations pulsate with a multitude of images as they chart the landscapes of Herrera's childhood heartland. Certainly a welcome alternative to the usually bleak portrayal of the migrant farmworker experience, this is an inspirational self-portrait of a loving Latino family. A poetic picture-book memoir that will add beauty to any literature, Latino culture, or biography collection. --Annie Ayres

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 1-3-A rich, personal narrative about growing up as a migrant farmworker. Herrera relates how he learned to love the land from his father, and poetry from his mother. He uses lyrical passages to portray everyday life, e.g., the ritual of breakfast: ``The sky was my blue spoon,/the wavy clay of the land was my plate.'' The colored-pencil and acrylic illustrations are bright and at times fanciful. Simmons's artwork brings to life Herrera's words, which are printed in both English and Spanish, and reinforces his imagery. The page layout varies, but is appropriate for the mood of the story. The combination of a beautiful text and radiant paintings makes Calling the Doves an excellent bilingual picture book.-Maria Redburn, Collier County Public Library, Immokalee, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review

In this bilingual text, Mexican-American poet Herrera evokes his childhood by using sensory description and lyrical language to immerse the reader in the milieu of the California migrant farm worker. The book conveys Herrera's parents' sensitivity in their affinity with nature along with their optimism as they travel in pursuit of seasonal employment. Imagery-filled illustrations accompany the text. From HORN BOOK 1995, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.