Antonio's Card / La Tarjeta de Antonio [Hardcover]

Rigoberto Gonzalez (Author), Cecilia Alvarez (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

Antonio loves words, because words have the power to express feelings like love, pride, or hurt. Mother's Day is coming soon, and Antonio searches for the words to express his love for his mother and her partner, Leslie. But he's not sure what to do when his classmates make fun of Leslie, an artist, who towers over everyone and wears paint-splattered overalls. As Mother's Day approaches, Antonio must choose whether — or how — to express his connection to both of the special women in his life.

Rigoberto González's bilingual story resonates with all children who have been faced with speaking up for themselves or for the people they love. Cecilia Concepción Álvarez's paintings bring the tale to life in tender, richly hued detail.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3–Antonio loves his routine–being dropped off at school by his mother in the morning and picked up by her partner, Leslie, in the afternoon. His family, though different from a lot of kids, suits him perfectly. Then some of the children begin to make comments about Leslie's unusual height, her masculine appearance, and her paint-splattered overalls. Antonio withers under the force of this scrutiny, withdraws a bit, and wants to change the routine so that the other children won't see Leslie. Still, even the negative peer pressure cannot keep him from drawing a lovely card for Mother's Day, a card for both of his mothers. When his teacher announces that the cards will be displayed in the lunchroom, the child becomes afraid all over again. It takes sharing a love of art and of family with Leslie for Antonio to feel ready to claim his family publicly. Sensitively written in English, with an excellent translation by Jorge Argueta, the narrative captures the social worries and concerns that children in nontraditional families may experience. The acrylic illustrations are bright and colorful. Unfortunately, they are a bit amateurish in execution, with perspectives flattened and occasional problems with distorted facial features. Regardless, this story deals brilliantly with issues of inclusion.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Children's Book Press; Bilingual edition (March 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892392045
• ISBN-13: 978-0892392049
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #303,952 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rigoberto González was born in Bakersfield, California and raised in Michoacán, Mexico. The son and grandson of migrant farmworkers, he is the author of eight books and the editor of Camino del Sol: Fifteen Years of Latina and Latino Writing and Xicano Duende: A Select Anthology of Alurista's poetry. The recipient of Guggenheim and NEA fellowships, winner of the Shelley Memorial Award from the Poetry Societry of America, the American Book Award, and The Poetry Center Book Award, he writes a twice-a-month Latino book column for the El Paso Times of Texas. He is contributing editor for Poets and Writers Magazine, on the Board of Directors of the National Book Critics Circle, and is Associate Professor of English at Rutgers--Newark, the State University of New Jersey. For the past twelve years he has lived mostly in New York City.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning About Family Acceptance and Tolerance, November 27, 2005

By 

Daniel Olivas (West Hills, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Antonio's Card / La Tarjeta de Antonio (Hardcover)

Perfectly framed by Cecilia Concepcion Alvarez's colorful acrylic paintings with an accompanying Spanish translation by Jorge Argueta, Rigoberto Gonzalez's story teaches not only tolerance but also reassures children that a household filled with love is something to cherish.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Family Acceptance., September 13, 2006

By 

Cady Hayden "Children's Book Author" (Bergenfield, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Antonio's Card / La Tarjeta de Antonio (Hardcover)

Antonio has two mother figures which makes it difficult to explain to his classmates. During Mother's Day card making time and after school, when his mom's partner picks him up, Antonio doesn't know how to deal with peer pressure. He is teased often and this confuses him because he loves his moms and his family. This book nicely portrays one boys struggle to fit in without hurting anyone's feelings. The book is written in english and spanish on each page. The love in the story overpowers the basic illustrations. A feel good read.