TitleTales

Favorite Bilingual Picture Books of 2009:
by Jennifer Velasquez

Juvenile & YA post—01/08/10
Here in Collection Development we often get requests for bilingual picture books. To that end, here are some of last year’s highlights: In February, I began to get my first inkling that 2009 might be a good year for literacy advocate Pat Mora. Her Book Fiesta—brightly illustrated by Rafael López—was a big seller and garnered three positive reviews. Spring saw the release of Sopa de frijoles/Bean Soup by Jorge Argueta. The sensual imagery in these verses inspired me to countless attempts at making frijoles de olla—much to my family’s chagrin (“Oh no--not beans again!”). June became even more promising with the publication of I Know the River Loves Me/Yo sé que el río me ama by award-winner Maya Christina Gonzales. Another offering from Children’s Book Press this year that is receiving a lot of attention is My Papa Diego and Me/Mi papé Diego y yo: Memories of My Father and His Art/Recuerdos de mi padre y su arte, by none other than Diego Rivera’s daughter. In fact, Kirkus included this title on their Best Children’s Books of 2009 list. Finally, Gracias/Thanks, again by Pat Mora, is selling well and has received two starred reviews.

I will be eagerly awaiting the results of the Pura Belpré Awards. Please keep checking Juvenile/YA Special Topics for lists of Spanish Language or bilingual books.

Fictional Wives: by Kim Stack

Adult post—01/08/10
When Fiction_L, a list serv for Readers’ Advisory topics, began a discussion of the “worst” of 2009, one book that stirred strong feelings was A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick. Now, there was nothing about A Reliable Wife that gave me warm or fuzzy feelings, but I’m certain that Goolrick never intended me to. I’m sure that I was to transport myself to the northern tier of this nation, in wintry cold, in a time in which the acceptance of suffering was usual. I think the very things about this book that caused other readers such severe discomfort, were the very things Goolrick wanted us to think about. Readers will never agree about which emotions pop to the forefront while reading this book, which makes it an excellent choice for book groups.

While I was thinking about this, I noticed that on my desk I also have The Wife’s Tale by Lori Lansens and A Lost Wife’s Tale by Marion McGilvary. This made me look at recent books about fictional wives, and none are filled with praise for this vocation. We see the wife depicted as a “sister wife”, shrewish, chattel, scheming, or just plain needing to learn to stand on her own two feet. I encourage you look at the recent novels in which the married woman is examined.

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