Module 3 - February 1-7
Snapshots from the Wedding by Gary Soto
Summary:
This is a very descriptive book that takes the reader through the events that make up a hispanic wedding. Starting from the moments of getting ready, to the ceremony at the church, and finishing up at the lively reception. The events of the wedding are detailed moment by moment by the young flower girl, Maya. Spanish words are sprinkled throughout the text giving it a very authentic retelling. The illustrator creatively uses three dimensional objects in a 'shadowbox' design to illustrate the pages.
Thoughts from a Book Worm:
I thought this book was fantastic peek into a Latino celebration. The book draws the reader in with the descriptive details from the young flower girl. You can almost hear the sounds, feel the textures, and taste the foods. The creative illustrations and fun-filled celebration will make this a book your little one will want to read over and over.
Reviews:
"Photographs with shadowboxes filled with sculpted clay figures form the eyecatching art for Soto's "diary" of Maya, a flower girl. The text sprinkled with Spanish words, is eloquent and funny (a bride's hands are "soft as doves"; a cousin wiggles his tongue "in the space between his baby teeth, white as Chiclets") - and it deftly captures the flavor of a Latino wedding, complete with mariachi band. Garcia's singular, deliciously creative artwork steals the show here, however. More playful than the dioramas she composed for The Old Lady and the Birds, these lifelike, three-dimensional scenes serve as an elaborate stage set. Readers will be enthralled by Garcia's use of details, from the "actors" and "actresses" decked out in wedding finery to the garlanded ribbons festooned across the shadowboxes to the objects that enhance each scene (tiny silk flowers in the bride's bouquet; potato chips on the buffet table.) Using Soto's words as a springboard, Garcia tweaks the perspective, offering a legs and feet only view, for instance, of a scene in which Maya describes the younger wedding guests' "shoes off" romp down the hallway (complete with authentically dusty soles of socks). Another snapshot shows a pair of sculpted hands holding a plate with a flower-topped slice of wedding cake. A happy marriage of talents. Ages 4-8. - Publisher's Weekly
Suggested Activities:
This book would be a wonderful lead in to a discussion on various customs and how they can differ between cultures. Have the children compare details of weddings that they have been to. How did people dress? What was the wedding ceremony like? Where did it take place? Was there a party or celebration afterward? What kind of food was served? What kind of music was played?
The artwork in this book is another aspect to highlight. After discussing the details in the various pages - encourage children to create their own shadowbox art. Encourage them to think of an important event in their lives: for example, a wedding, a birthday celebration, or a graduation. Provide a variety of materials, paper, clay, 3-D objects, cloth, and other materials.
Biography:
Soto, G. (1998). Snapshots from a Wedding. New York: Penguin Group.
Snapshots from the Wedding by Gary Soto
Summary:
This is a very descriptive book that takes the reader through the events that make up a hispanic wedding. Starting from the moments of getting ready, to the ceremony at the church, and finishing up at the lively reception. The events of the wedding are detailed moment by moment by the young flower girl, Maya. Spanish words are sprinkled throughout the text giving it a very authentic retelling. The illustrator creatively uses three dimensional objects in a 'shadowbox' design to illustrate the pages.
Thoughts from a Book Worm:
I thought this book was fantastic peek into a Latino celebration. The book draws the reader in with the descriptive details from the young flower girl. You can almost hear the sounds, feel the textures, and taste the foods. The creative illustrations and fun-filled celebration will make this a book your little one will want to read over and over.
Reviews:
"Photographs with shadowboxes filled with sculpted clay figures form the eyecatching art for Soto's "diary" of Maya, a flower girl. The text sprinkled with Spanish words, is eloquent and funny (a bride's hands are "soft as doves"; a cousin wiggles his tongue "in the space between his baby teeth, white as Chiclets") - and it deftly captures the flavor of a Latino wedding, complete with mariachi band. Garcia's singular, deliciously creative artwork steals the show here, however. More playful than the dioramas she composed for The Old Lady and the Birds, these lifelike, three-dimensional scenes serve as an elaborate stage set. Readers will be enthralled by Garcia's use of details, from the "actors" and "actresses" decked out in wedding finery to the garlanded ribbons festooned across the shadowboxes to the objects that enhance each scene (tiny silk flowers in the bride's bouquet; potato chips on the buffet table.) Using Soto's words as a springboard, Garcia tweaks the perspective, offering a legs and feet only view, for instance, of a scene in which Maya describes the younger wedding guests' "shoes off" romp down the hallway (complete with authentically dusty soles of socks). Another snapshot shows a pair of sculpted hands holding a plate with a flower-topped slice of wedding cake. A happy marriage of talents. Ages 4-8. - Publisher's Weekly
Suggested Activities:
This book would be a wonderful lead in to a discussion on various customs and how they can differ between cultures. Have the children compare details of weddings that they have been to. How did people dress? What was the wedding ceremony like? Where did it take place? Was there a party or celebration afterward? What kind of food was served? What kind of music was played?
The artwork in this book is another aspect to highlight. After discussing the details in the various pages - encourage children to create their own shadowbox art. Encourage them to think of an important event in their lives: for example, a wedding, a birthday celebration, or a graduation. Provide a variety of materials, paper, clay, 3-D objects, cloth, and other materials.
Biography:
Soto, G. (1998). Snapshots from a Wedding. New York: Penguin Group.
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