Pura Belpré Honor Books

Author Honor Books
•Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Yuyi Morales illus. by the author (Holt) review
•Frida: ¡Viva la vida! Long Live Life! by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand (Marshall Cavendish) review
•Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale retold by Carmen Agra Deedy, illus. by Michael Austin (Peachtree) review

Illustrator Honor Books
• My Name Is Gabito: The Life of Gabriel García Márquez / Me llamo gabito: La vida de Gabriel García Márquez illustrated by Raúl Colón, written by Monica Brown (Luna Rising) review
• My Colors, My World / Mis colores, mi mundo written and illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzales (Children's Book Press) review

How the Horn Book reviewed the winners

Margarita Engle The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano;
          illus. by Sean Qualls
          Holt
          Reviewed 7/06
In the opening poem of this biography in verse, the enslaved Juan Francisco Manzano bitterly calls himself his owner's "pet, a new kind of poodle." As a young boy, Juan impressed his owner and her friends with his prodigious memory, reciting Homer, opera, entire Latin sermons-and his own precociously lovely poetry. Engle alternates between Juan's perspective and those of his owners and his parents. Although she bases her work on Manzano's autobiographical notes, this is a work of literary imagination. The slaveholder's conflicted longings, the parents' anguish, and especially the boy poet's determination to preserve his inner life paint an unusually complex and forceful picture of growing up in bondage. When Juan is eleven years old, his owner dies. He becomes the property of a madwoman whose abuses Engle chronicles at length and in grisly detail. The story ends with Juan's triumphant escape, though, and a historical note adds that both he and his writing later flourished. Engle's skillful portrait will spark readers' interest in Manzano's own poetry, some of which is excerpted in the last few pages. His verse outshines Engle's a little-as perhaps it should. LELAC ALMAGOR.

Yuyi Morales Los Gatos Black on Halloween, illus. by the author
      Holt
      Reviewed spring 2008
This book weaves Spanish words into an English poem, defining the Spanish seamlessly within the stanzas. Eerie yet whimsical illustrations, which include twists on traditional Day of the Dead imagery, provide the backdrop. The details on each page will encourage careful observation, and the surprise ending is enjoyable. Glos. M.J.S.

Carmen T. Bernier-Grand Frida: ¡Viva la vida! Long Live Life!
      Marshall Cavendish
      Reviewed spring 2008
Chronologically arranged poems outline the life of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. Written mostly from Kahlo's point of view, the free-verse poems incorporate many biographical details while accurately (and at times, graphically) reflecting the violence, turmoil, and despair in her life. Photographs of Kahlo, as well as numerous full-color reproductions of Kahlo's and Diego Rivera's artwork, accompany theh poems. Timeline. Bib., glos. N.C.P.

Carmen Agra Deedy Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale; illus. by Michael Austin
      Peachtree
      Reviewed spring 2008
Martina, a lovely green Cuban cockroach, follows her grandmother's advice and applies the coffee test to all her prospective husbands: when a suitor comes calling, she spills coffee on his shoes and quickly discovers how he'll behave when angry. Humorous wordplay adds spice to this (unsourced) retelling, while the entertaining acrylic illustrations portray the animals' foibles with gusto. Concurrently published in Spanish.

Monica Brown My Name Is Gabito / Me llamo Gabito: The Life of Gabriel García Márquez / La vida de Gabriel García Márquez; illus. by Raul Colon
      Luna Rising
      Reviewed spring 2008
This bilingual picture book biography does respectful justice to its subject, exploring Márquez's early life and influences in Colombia. Brown's writing lilts with poetic cadences that reflect Márquez's spirit and soul. Colón's beautifully flowing rainbow-hued illustrations capture the spirit of magical realism that is so integral to Márquez's work. An author's note gives more biographical information.

Maya Christina Gonzales My Colors, My World / Mis colores, mi mundo
      Children's Book Press
      Reviewed spring 2008
Maya's desert home looks dreary after a sandstorm turns everything beige. She has to look carefully to "find the colors in my world." The bilingual text relates how she notices the pink of the sunset, orange and purple flowers, and other surprising colors around her home. Lush, dreamy, purple- and pink-heavy paintings bring Maya's surroundings to life. A.M.T.

2008 ALA awards