Butterflies on Carmen Street/ Mariposas en la calle Carmen [Hardcover]

Monica Brown (Author), April Ward (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 31, 2007 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

"Today is Butterfly Day!" Julianita excitedly tells her grandfather as they make their way down Carmen Street to school one morning. Today is the day Julianita and her friends have been waiting for--they're going to learn about monarch butterflies. But what's even more thrilling is they're each going to receive their very own caterpillar to raise! When Julianita gets hers, she names him Tiger because of his striking yellow and black stripes.

Ms. Rodríguez teaches her students all about the monarch. But Julianita already knows that they fly south thousands of miles every winter because her grandfather remembers seeing the beautiful monarchs in his village in the highlands of Mexico. As the children feed and care for their caterpillars, they anxiously anticipate the transformation from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly.

When Tiger finally emerges from his chrysalis, Julianita doesn't want to let him go. She worries that he will get lost on his way to Mexico. "Tiger knows the way to Mexico because it's in his heart," her Abuelito reassures her. She feels sad to see Tiger fly away, but Julianita knows that someday, she will follow him to her grandfather's magical Mexico.

Paired with April Ward's charming illustrations that depict Julianita's neighborhood--her home on Carmen Street, the bench where Abuelito rests in Palo Verde Park, her parents' store that sells everything in the whole wide world--this book by award-winning author Monica Brown is sure to entertain and educate kids ages 3-9. This is a perfect choice for children learning about insects and the forces of nature.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This title seamlessly weaves two stories in one…the science behind the project is well explained and the bonding between [Julianita] and her grandfather rings true." --Criticas

"As Julianita walks with her abuelito, she explains that her class is going to learn about monarch butterflies….In vibrant illustrations…she learns about the life cycle of monarch butterflies and eventually watches as her caterpillar makes its miraculous transformation…The generations are linked by the beauty of nature, which knows no borders." --MultiCultural Review

About the Author

MONICA BROWN is the award-winning author of magical, multicultural books for children, including My Name is Celia: The Life of Celia Cruz / Me llamo Celia: La vida de Celia Cruz (Luna Rising, 2004) and My Name is Gabriela: The Life of Gabriela Mistral / Me llamo Gabriela: La vida de Gabriela Mistral (Luna Rising, 2005). My Name is Celia won the Américas Award for Children's Literature and was named a Pura Belpré Honor Book. When she is not writing, she teaches Latino/a literature at Northern Arizona University.

APRIL WARD received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and has been working in children's book publishing ever since. April currently lives in New York and works as a designer when not illustrating books. She also illustrated Juan and the Chupacabras / Juan y el Chupacabras (Piñata Books, 2006).

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Pinata Books; Bilingual edition (October 31, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558854843
• ISBN-13: 978-1558854840
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #803,389 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

For more information, visit monicabrown.net

Monica Brown, Ph.D. is the author of award-winning bilingual books for children, including My Name Is Celia: The Life of Celia Cruz/Me llamo Celia: La vida de Celia Cruz (Luna Rising), which was awarded the Américas Award for Children's Literature and a Pura Belpré Honor. Her second picture book, My Name Is Gabriela: The Life of Gabriela Mistral/Me llamo Gabriela: La vida de Gabriela Mistral (Luna Rising) shares the story of the first Latina to win a Nobel Prize. Her other books include Butterflies on Carmen Street (Arté Publico Press), My Name Is Gabito: The Life of Gabriel García Márquez/Me llamo Gabito: La vida de Gabriel García Márquez, a Junior Library Guild Premier Selection and Pura Belpré Honor Book, and Pelé, King of Soccer (HarperCollins Rayo). Her two most recent books are Chavela and the Magic Bubble (Spring 2010) and Side by Side: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez (Fall 2010), also a Junior Library Guild Premier Selection. Monica's books are inspired by her Peruvian-American heritage and passion to share Latino/a stories with children.

Monica Brown is a Professor of English at Northern Arizona University, specializing in U.S. Latino Literature and Multicultural Literature. She also writes and publishes scholarly work with a Latino focus, including Gang Nation: Delinquent Citizenship in Puerto Rican and Chicano and Chicana Literature; and numerous scholarly articles/ chapters on Latino/a literature and cultural studies. Monica Brown has been a featured author the Kennedy Center Multicultural Book Festival, The Texas Book Festival, The Miami Book Festival and the National and California Associations of Bilingual Educators, among other festivals and conferences.

She is a recipient of the prestigious Rockefeller Fellowship on Chicano Cultural Literacies from the Center for Chicano Studies at the University of California. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Family Story, December 12, 2007

By 

Karen Woodworth Roman "Happy Librarian" (DeKalb, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Butterflies on Carmen Street/ Mariposas en la calle Carmen (Hardcover)

Butterflies on Carmen Street: Mariposas en la calle Carmen (Spanish and English)
Monica Brown has written a warm tribute to a loving family. Abuelito takes Julianita to school where she anticipates a lesson on butterflies. Her grandfather tells her tales of monarchs wintering in his village in Mexico. April Ward's illustrations are rich, vibrant, and bursting with life. I really like bilingual books and this is one of the best I have seen. Karen Woodworth-Roman, www.librarians.info

5.0 out of 5 stars The life of the monarch butterfly, May 6, 2008

By 

Enrique Torres "Rico" (San Diegotitlan, Califas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Butterflies on Carmen Street/ Mariposas en la calle Carmen (Hardcover)

This is a heartwarming story about a little girl named Julianita, her family , community and the life of the monarch butterfly. I especially liked the role of the extended family in this book. This fine bilingual children's book tells the story of one girls excitement about going to school on butterfly day. Julianita tells us about the life cycle of the monarch buttefly. Her grandfather comes from a place(Michoacan) in Mexico where the butterflies invade and hang on trees every winter making a colorful spectacle. Julianita wants to see them one day with her abuelito(grandfather) in Mexico. In school she takes care of a caterpillar (Tiger), feeds it and takes it everywhere with her. One day she lets it fly away once it has come out of it's chrysalis. She is sad but happy. This is an excellent story to introduce young students to the life of a monarch butterfly and how it travels thousands of miles to Mexico. The bilingual text is excellent to help Spanish language students learn English as they can match up the words. The art work is filled with vibrant splashes of color that will captivate the young student/childs imagination. This is another beautiful book written by Monica Brown. You may enjoy for your children or students her other books like My Name is Gabriela/Me llamo Gabriela (Bilingual): The Life of Gabriela Mistral/la vida de Gabriela Mistral or her award winning book entitled My Name is Celia/Me llamo Celia (Bilingual): The Life of Celia Cruz/la vida de Celia Cruz (Americas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature. Winner (Awards)). This book is highly recommended for community and K-6 libraries.