Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Alfred A. Knopf
Pages
32
Description
While helping his family in their work as migrant laborers far from their home, Tomas finds an entire world to explore in the books at the local public library.
Description
Tomás is a son of migrant workers. Every summer he and his family follow the crops north from Texas to Iowa, spending long, arduous days in the fields. At night they gather around to hear Grandfather's wonderful stories. But before long, Tomás knows all the stories by heart. "There are more stories in the library,"Papa Grande tells him. The very next day, Tomás meets the library lady and a whole new world opens up for him.
Based on the true story of the Mexican-American author and educator Tomás Rivera, a child of migrant workers who went on to become the first minority Chancellor in the University of California system, this inspirational story suggests what libraries--and education--can make
possible. Raul Colón's warm, expressive paintings perfectly interweave the harsh realities of Tomás's life, the joyful imaginings he finds in books, and his special relationships with a wise grandfather and a caring librarian.
"A gentle text and innovative artwork. . .
. While young readers and future librarians will find this an inspiring tale, the end note gives it a real kick: the story is based on an actual migrant worker [Tomás Rivera] who became chancellor of a university--where the library now bears his name." --Publishers Weekly
Based on the true story of the Mexican-American author and educator Tomás Rivera, a child of migrant workers who went on to become the first minority Chancellor in the University of California system, this inspirational story suggests what libraries--and education--can make
possible. Raul Colón's warm, expressive paintings perfectly interweave the harsh realities of Tomás's life, the joyful imaginings he finds in books, and his special relationships with a wise grandfather and a caring librarian.
"A gentle text and innovative artwork. . .
. While young readers and future librarians will find this an inspiring tale, the end note gives it a real kick: the story is based on an actual migrant worker [Tomás Rivera] who became chancellor of a university--where the library now bears his name." --Publishers Weekly
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1997
Physical description
32 p.; 10.25 inches
ISBN
0679804013 / 9780679804017
Similar in this library
Lexile
440L
User reviews
LibraryThing member sharmon05
The illustrations in this book are amazing. They are made from wood carvings that are painted and pressed onto paper. This gives the illustrations a great texture, and life like appearance. This story is a fiction, but it is very possible that these events could take place. Furthermore, children
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who read this book are able to relate to the characters easily. All of these components make this book a good example of realistic fiction. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookgals
Inspired by a true story, this creative book will give 2nd and 3rd grade students hope and inspiration for their future. Author, Pat Mora does an impeccable job connecting the audience to this book. Mora truly stresses how important education and imagination are in a child’s life. The colorful
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and striking illustrations by Raul Colon capture the true faith and sprit of the message of the book. The illustrations are done with lots of vivid and bright colors and soft smooth lines. The drawings are done in such a way the readers can use their own imagination and add to the sketches. Show Less
LibraryThing member smyers
A great book written by Pat Mora, and Illustrated by Raul Colon. A little boy travels from Texas to Iowa with his migrant family looking for work. Tomas finds his way to the town library and becomes friends with the librarian. During this friendship, Tomas discovers books that allow him to escape
I found this book to be very enjoyable, and would like to add it to my collection. This little boy is able to escape the drab little place he lives in by reading a variety of books; however, you don't take from this story that the little boy doesn't enjoy his life. In this book you learn of family tradition and love, not how helpless a migrant family can be. One can learn the importance of story telling that can be passed down through the generations.
As a classroom extension, the class could do a comparison between themselves and Tomas. A lesson could be taught on migrant workers and their lifestyle. As a group lesson, the students could be given cards with find someone who loves dinosaurs, find someone who has one brother etc, using ideas from the book. The children could also tell a story to the class and become the "storyteller" of the day.
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his daily life and experience so many adventures. Tomas in return teaches the librarian how to speak Spanish. A bond is formed through the book between the two. Tomas tells of the stories his Grandpa shares with the librarian, and Tomas shares his stories he reads with his Grandpa. A great book on friendship, learning, reading and family tradition.I found this book to be very enjoyable, and would like to add it to my collection. This little boy is able to escape the drab little place he lives in by reading a variety of books; however, you don't take from this story that the little boy doesn't enjoy his life. In this book you learn of family tradition and love, not how helpless a migrant family can be. One can learn the importance of story telling that can be passed down through the generations.
As a classroom extension, the class could do a comparison between themselves and Tomas. A lesson could be taught on migrant workers and their lifestyle. As a group lesson, the students could be given cards with find someone who loves dinosaurs, find someone who has one brother etc, using ideas from the book. The children could also tell a story to the class and become the "storyteller" of the day.
Show Less
LibraryThing member coriblake
What a beautiful story! I marveled at the , colorful, smooth, rounded lines of the illustrations. I really thought that this book could tie in to high school art curriculum when studying shade, light, lines, famous artists and so forth. The illustrations are exquisite. The illustrator, Raul Colon
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has illustratred many books. Tomas and the Library Lady is a classic simply because it shows the bonds that people form with other people and the bonds that people form with books; a whole new world to explore. Show Less
LibraryThing member lisabankey
Tomas loves to hear the stories that his grandfather tells as the family works as migrant farmers. His grandfather suggest that Tomas learn new stories since Tomas knows all grandfather's stories by heart. Tomas discovers many stories to share with the family with the help of the librarian of the
This is based on the true story of Tomas Rivera, who was a migrant worker as a child and became chancellor of the University of California at Riverside. This book is beautifully illustrated by Raul Colon.
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local library. This is based on the true story of Tomas Rivera, who was a migrant worker as a child and became chancellor of the University of California at Riverside. This book is beautifully illustrated by Raul Colon.
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LibraryThing member lisab818
A story from the childhood of Tomas Rivera is beautifully written and illustrated in this book. Tomas moves to Iowa from Texas and spends his days at the library, where a kind librarian helps him find books and becomes his friend. Tomas and the librarian form a partnership, reading and learning
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Spanish. The joy and power of literacy is felt from every character in the book. Show Less
LibraryThing member kincaid
Tomas and his family are miugrant workers who travel from state to state helping farners harvest fruits and vegetables. Papi Grande tells stories in Spanish. Soon Tomas knows all of Papi stories, so Papi suggests that he go to the local library. Thanks to a friendly and helping librarian, Tomas is
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soon reading and sorts of books in English. The two inspire one another. She learns Spanish, and he learns to read and speak English. Although this book is fiction, it is based on the real life experiences of the author. Show Less
LibraryThing member abarajas09
Genre: Historical Fiction
Review: this is a good example of a historical fiction story because it is mostly based on the true story of Tomas Rivera, who became fascinated with literature.
Media: Pencil, Colored pencil, watercolor
Setting: The setting of the story correlates with the time this story
Review: this is a good example of a historical fiction story because it is mostly based on the true story of Tomas Rivera, who became fascinated with literature.
Media: Pencil, Colored pencil, watercolor
Setting: The setting of the story correlates with the time this story
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might have taken place. We can see this through the illustrations and the story itself. Show Less
LibraryThing member shelb.norm
Tomas just moved to Iowa with his family to find farming work for the summer. He seeks refuge in the library on a hot summer day and finds comfort and adventure in the books. Based on a true story about the son of migrant workers who gets help and encouragement from a librarian in Iowa.
LibraryThing member dwall011
This book was short but sweet. It's about a boy who moves back and forth from Texas to Iowa because his partens maintain farms for work. He finds a place of his own when he runs into the library and there is a very friendly librarian who he becomes very close to. At the end he moves back to Texas
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with his new love of reading Show Less
LibraryThing member dukefan86
This is a pretty interesting story, partly because it's true. I enjoyed reading about this budding little storyteller, who gets lots of encouragement from his family as well as from the "library lady." Nice illustrations as well.
LibraryThing member cbower6
7. Tomas and the Library Lady, by Pat Mora, illustrated by Raul Colon, and published in 2000 by Dragonfly Books, is a Biographic picture book about the late Tomas Rivera and how books changed his life. I thought this was a really good book with stunning visuals, a great message, and nice plot
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suspense. The illustrations actually start out very boring and simple. They come alive full of color and detail when Tomas opens his first book in the library. At this point a huge dinosaur takes over the page. The illustration is very detailed as I could make out the scales on the T-Rex’s body. The illustrator also carries this over to the next page but makes the images smaller as Tomas is finishing up the books. When he is done the vast images go away. But the illustrations stay vibrant and detailed. I liked the symbolism of the illustrations. That books can take you to far off places in your head and create great details in your head as well. The main theme and big idea in this book is that books can take you to other worlds in your head and can offer you an escape from the busy world that we live in. Tomas discovers that books can ease his pain when his immigrant family has to move from state to state to find work. Tomas gets so into the world of books that we see him spending more and more time in the library. One plot twist is when Tomas has to move. He has found a great library with great books and a great librarian. He is sad to leave but the librarian gives him some books and tells him that there are libraries all around with many stores. The biggest “plot twist” is at the end when I found out that this is a biographic on the real Tomas Rivera. This book was based on his life as a migrant worker who valued books and education. The postscript goes on to say that he obtained a PhD and has a library named after him. I thought that this was a great book that explored the topic of imagination through books. Show Less
LibraryThing member Emily.Small
The Pura Belpre award winning book, is about the man whom it is named for. Tomas discovers the library, and in return begins his love of education and stories. Beautiful illustrations.
LibraryThing member rachelmuegge
Great story full of culture. I love how the author showcases the importance of literacy and storytelling.
LibraryThing member cvarela
Tomas and his immigrant family go on a trip to Iowa from Texas to find job opportunities. Tomas is a boy who has fallen in love with stories ever since his grandpa started telling them. He goes to the public library where he meets a woman who lets him borrow books for him to read and share with his
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family. The lady becomes very special for the boy and he starts to teach her spanish words. Tomas spends long hours in the library. He goes one day to say goodbye to the lady since his family is going back to Texas. This story is inspired in the life of Tomas Rivera who developed a passion for reading which opened the doors for him to become an university administrator at California university, where the campus' library is named after him. Show Less
LibraryThing member AmandaLK
This book is a lovely story about a boy who moved to a new place because his parents were migrant workers and wanted new stories, so he went to the library and made a friend: the library lady. Seeing his love for books and stories develop as she showed kindness and built relationship was really
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inspiring. The illustrations are beautiful and captivating, and there are a lot of places where Spanish phrases are used for bilingual students. It would be good for discussion about either literacy, libraries, or migrant workers and what their lives are like, especially in relation to education. Show Less
LibraryThing member Whisper1
A librarian who reinforced a love of reading, changed my life. And, such is the case with Tomas Rivera who was born in Texas to a migrant working family. Becoming a success later in life, Tomas never forgot the importance of libraries and librarians. Valuing education, he became a professor and a
This book tells the story of Tomas who discovered libraries and through reading, doors opened into his imagination.
Sharing the stories in the books with his family at night reinforced reading habits and a love of books.
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university administrator.This book tells the story of Tomas who discovered libraries and through reading, doors opened into his imagination.
Sharing the stories in the books with his family at night reinforced reading habits and a love of books.
Show Less
LibraryThing member PikeH
This book was a Texas Blue Bonnet Award nominee in 2000 and won the Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award in 1998. This is a heartwarming story about a Mexican American migrant family that move from Texas to Iowa and then back to Texas. The young boy in the family meets the library
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lady and loves learning the new stories she shares with him. In turn, the library lady loves learning new Spanish words from the boy. This book includes Spanish. Show Less
LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
Every summer, Tomás and his family would travel from their home in Texas to the corn fields of Iowa, where his parents worked as farmhands. Sitting in the shade of a tree with their grandfather, Papá Grande, on the hot afternoons, Tomás and his brother Enrique would listen to his many wonderful
Based upon the life of Mexican-American poet and educator Tomás Rivera, the son of migrant farm-workers, who eventually became the chancellor of the University of California, Riverside, Tomás and the Library Lady is a lovely tribute to a remarkable man, and to the woman who first set him on his journey of discovery. It emphasizes the joy of reading - its transformative and transportive power - as young Tomás becomes so absorbed in his books that Iowa, Texas, the entire world, all fade away as he reads. I was reminded, in fact, of one of my favorite early readers - also about a library - Crosby Bonsall's Tell Me Some More..., and that is high praise! The accompanying artwork by Raul Colón is beautiful, accentuating the magical aspects of Tomás' reading. All in all, a wonderful picture-book, highly recommended to all young bibliophiles and library lovers!
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stories. When Tomás completed one of those stories for him, Papá Grande suggested that it was time for him to find some of his own... at the local library. And so began a wonderful summer of discovery, in which a kind library lady pointed Tomás towards a wealth of informative and entertaining books, about everything from dinosaurs to tigers.Based upon the life of Mexican-American poet and educator Tomás Rivera, the son of migrant farm-workers, who eventually became the chancellor of the University of California, Riverside, Tomás and the Library Lady is a lovely tribute to a remarkable man, and to the woman who first set him on his journey of discovery. It emphasizes the joy of reading - its transformative and transportive power - as young Tomás becomes so absorbed in his books that Iowa, Texas, the entire world, all fade away as he reads. I was reminded, in fact, of one of my favorite early readers - also about a library - Crosby Bonsall's Tell Me Some More..., and that is high praise! The accompanying artwork by Raul Colón is beautiful, accentuating the magical aspects of Tomás' reading. All in all, a wonderful picture-book, highly recommended to all young bibliophiles and library lovers!
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Awards
Nebraska Golden Sower Award (Nominee — 2000)
Texas Bluebonnet Award (Nominee — 2000)
Utah Beehive Book Award (Nominee — Children's Picture — 2001)
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — Grades K-3 — 2000)
Skipping Stones Honor Award (1998)
Américas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature (Commended Title — 1997)
CCBC Choices (1997)
NCTE Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for Pre-K—Grade 6 (12th Edition: 1996-1998)
Teacher Favorites Award (1998)
Call number
J2I.302