Book Review – Gracias ~ Thanks
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Mora, Pat. 2009. GRACIAS ~THANKS. Ill. by John Parra. New York, NY: Lee & Low Books. ISBN 9781600602580
2. PLOT SUMMARY
A young boy expresses gratitude for the little things in life that we all often forget. Things as simple as the sun, a ladybug, ocean waves, bees, worms, chocolate, old pajamas, and crickets are amongst the list of what he is thankful for. Family and friends are also treasures he thanks as he journeys through his daily life.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Pat Mora is a critically acclaimed, award-winning author of children’s books. Her use of predictable sentence structure (beginning each sentence with For, For the, or For my….), down-to-earth description, along with bilingual text makes this book a multicultural sensation young readers will enjoy. How often do we ever think about inanimate objects and creatures of nature as something to be proud to have? This, with hints of some elements of personification (the story states “…the foamy waves that chase my sister and me” and “...the cricket... serenades us to sleep), and child-like imagination (“a boy giant who puts his little parents on top of a tall tree when they misbehave…”) reminds us of the innocence of youth. Bringing back memories of childhood through this book can help us all get in touch with our sensitive side and appreciativeness.
Bright, vibrant, multi-colored illustrations by John Parra further complement the message of thankfulness. Almost every page features the character with a member of his family celebrating life. Although there are some areas of distortion in the drawings, such as the people’s heads are slightly larger than their bodies, these differences add a trademark that could be viewed as an asset to the cultural diverse theme.
In all, family, friends, and even the simple things in life are viewed to be important. In the afterword, Mora addresses the reader by asking “what are you thankful for?” There are so many wonderful things, big and small, we can be thankful for. As I read the story, the tune to an old gospel song “I Won’t Complain” came to mind. I will leave you with a link to the song and an excerpt to of some of the lyrics:
Check out R&B singer John Legend perform this song on the Oprah Winfrey Show at this YouTube site:
| I Won't Complain Lyrics |
I've had some good days I've had some hills to climb I've had some weary days and some sleepless nights But when I look around and think things over All of my good days outweigh my bad days and I won't complain |
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
ALA Notable Book, 2010
Texas Library Association 2X2 Reading List, 2010
Texas Library Association 2X2 Reading List, 2010
CCBC Choices, 2010
Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Illustration, 2009
Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Book, 2010
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “This delightful bilingual book has universal appeal... A must buy for all libraries.”
Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Book, 2010
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “This delightful bilingual book has universal appeal... A must buy for all libraries.”
BOOKLIST: *Starred Review* “Books of thanks can run toward clichés, but the originality and liveliness of language and art in this one will inspire children to consider their own blessings.”
5. CONNECTIONS
· What a wonderful opportunity for classroom teachers, librarians, and families to extend the lessons learned in this story by reading other books and doing activities related to Gracias ~ Thanks during Thanksgiving and other holidays. It is not only limited to the holidays, but can also be explored on any occasion throughout our daily lives.
· Other books for children related to giving thanks:
Swamp, Jake. 1997. GIVING THANKS : A NATIVE AMERICAN GOOD MORNING MESSAGE.
ISBN 9781880000540
Macomber, Debbie. 2009. THE TRULY TERRIBLY HORRIBLE SWEATER - - THAT GRANDMA KNIT.
ISBN 9780061650932
· Websites – listen to Pat Mora read an excerpt of Gracias ~ Thanks
Other resources used:
This book review was created as an assignment for a course at Texas Woman’s University.
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