Mora, Pat. Confetti: Poems for Children. Ill. by Enrique
O. Sanchez. New York: Lee & Low Books, Inc, 1996. ISBN: 0-613-19346-6
SUMMARY
The American
Southwest awakens in Pat Mora’s poetry found in Confetti: Poems for Children. Discover the animals hidden away
until Don Luis can release them as he carves into their wood homes. Try to catch the wind as it spins and dances
around you. Dance with the panadero
as he magically turns flour and spices and fruits into delicious pan and empanadas. The vibrant Mexican culture and southwest scenery come
together through the eyes of a young girl as she awakens and carries the reader
through her day while she joyously discovers the freedom and beauty of the world around
her.
ANALYSIS
Pat Mora’s
gift of crafting words into explosions of sounds, colors, aromas, and textures
comes to fruition in Confetti: Poems for
Children. No sense is left untouched in this visually appealing and
lyrically captivating collection of poems.
The theme of
this book revolves around the rich Mexican culture that surrounds a young girl
in the Southwest. Mora uses imagery, alliteration, and rhythm throughout the
collection. Her opening poem, “Sun Song,” begins the young girl’s day. The
golden sun awakens the sleeping world, and soon all begin to sing, “Sun song,
sun song, sun song.” The following poems describe colors, a wood carvers’ gift
to bring the animal from the piece of wood it sleeps within, the allusive and
dancing wind that avoids capture, and many other topics.
The cultural
markers found in this book can be seen in the illustrations, as well as in the
words. Enrique O. Sanchez’s illustrations feature a young Hispanic girl with
dark hair and dark eyes who delights in all the things she sees. In the poem, “Can
I, Can I Catch the Wind,” the girl holds a straw hat, a jar made of pottery is
in front of her, and to her side is a straw basket. The wind is depicted as a
swirling white line that spins and dances before her outreached hand. The
illustrations for “Cloud Dragons” shows the girl looking across a desert with a
mountain in the distance and a cactus in the foreground. The sky takes up most
of the picture, with clouds seen as dragons “…slithering by,” and “caballitos / that race the wind.”
Mora also
touches the Tarahumaras’ culture in her poem, “I Hear, I Hear.” Sanchez’s
illustrations in soft pinks, greens, blues and purples show the girl reading a
book with images surrounding her that reveal snippets of the life of the
Tarahumara Indians who lived in the northern region of Mexico. The poem beats a thoughtful, steady rhythm with the words: “I hear the rhythm of the Tarahumaras / pom, pom,
/ I hear them hoeing in the cornfields / pom, pom / I hear them patting
tortillas / pom, pom…” The illustrations show the drum, a Tarahumaran hoeing a
field, and other scenes from the poem.
Each poem
speaks of an aspect of the Mexican culture that continues to thrive in Mexico
and the Southwest regions of the United States. In her poem, “Words Free as Confetti,” Mora writes,
“…I’ll watch you, words, rise and dance and spin. / I’ll say, say, say you / in
English, / in Spanish, / I’ll find you. / Hold you. / Toss you. / I’m free
too./…” True to this poem, Mora does use
the words – in Spanish and in English – and she tosses them into rhythmic,
delightful lines that fill the senses, while Sanchez’s illustrations in soft
Southwestern colors complete the allusion to the contributions of the colorful,
lively, and traditional Mexican culture.
AWARDS/REVIEWS
Arizona Governor’s Book Award, 2004
Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children’s
Book Award, 1997 – Nominee, Texas
Notable Books for a Global Society from
the International Reading Association, 1996
“Mora’s poems reflect vividly the
Mexican-American culture and life in the desert Southwest.” Mary Sarber, El Paso Herald Post
“The lively rhythms, interspersed with
Spanish words, depict the treasures of a child’s life in the Southwest.” Review of Texas Books
“Narrative poems in free verse capture the
rhythms and uniqueness of the Southwest and its culture as seen through the
eyes of a Mexican-American girl.” School
Library Journal
CONNECTIONS
*Bilingual
poetry books by Pat Mora:
Delicious Hullabaloos: Pachanga deliciosa
Book Fiesta! Celebrate Children’s Day / Book
Day: Celebremos El día de los niños / El día de los libros
*Picture
books by Pat Mora:
Tomas and the Library Lady by Pat Mora
Lesson
Plan link:
PERSONAL
RESPONSE
Simply put, I love to read poetry, and Pat
Mora’s Confetti: Poems for Children
captured me and held me from the beginning to end. I had to speak the poems,
hear the rhythms and soft sounds blend. My favorite poem is “Mexican Magician.”
The panadero in the poem is a man who
loves his job – and Mora’s words and Sanchez’s illustrations matched perfectly.
I also enjoyed the poem about the wind.
When spoken aloud, I could feel the rise and fall of the wind as it
passes by. This is definitely a fun book to read aloud to children of all ages.
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