Calling the Doves/El canto de las palomas [Paperback]

Juan Felipe Herrera (Author), Elly Simmons (Illustrator)

Book Description

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

Now available in paperback, poet Juan Felipe Herrera’s bilingual memoir paints a vivid picture of his migrant farmworker childhood. His rich, evocative prose re-creates the joy of eating under the open sky, celebrating at a fiesta with other farm families, and listening to his mother singing Mexican songs and his father calling the doves. “A welcome alternative to the usually bleak portrayal of the migrant farmworker experience, this is an inspirational self-portrait of a loving Latino family.” — Booklist

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-A rich, personal narrative about growing up as a migrant farmworker. Herrera relates how he learned to love the land from his father, and poetry from his mother. He uses lyrical passages to portray everyday life, e.g., the ritual of breakfast: "The sky was my blue spoon,/the wavy clay of the land was my plate." The colored-pencil and acrylic illustrations are bright and at times fanciful. Simmons's artwork brings to life Herrera's words, which are printed in both English and Spanish, and reinforces his imagery. The page layout varies, but is appropriate for the mood of the story. The combination of a beautiful text and radiant paintings makes Calling the Doves an excellent bilingual picture book.
Maria Redburn, Collier County Public Library, Immokalee, FL
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 3^-6, younger for reading aloud. In lyrical and imagistic prose, prominent Mexican American poet Juan Felipe Herrera has written a bilingual memoir of his childhood as the beloved son of migrant farmworkers traveling from harvest to harvest in a truck towing their little square loaf house along the roads winding through the mountains and valleys of California. Embraced by the love of his family, Herrera was set on his own road to becoming a writer. "As the cities came into view, I knew one day I would follow my own road. I would let my voice fly the way my mother recited poems, the way my father called the doves." Composed in the style of robust murals, Simmons' lushly colored, creamy illustrations pulsate with a multitude of images as they chart the landscapes of Herrera's childhood heartland. Certainly a welcome alternative to the usually bleak portrayal of the migrant farmworker experience, this is an inspirational self-portrait of a loving Latino family. A poetic picture-book memoir that will add beauty to any literature, Latino culture, or biography collection. Annie Ayres --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Children's Book Press; Bilingual edition (April 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892391669
• ISBN-13: 978-0892391660
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.1 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #406,434 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #9 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Explore the World > Mexico
  • #20 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Spanish
  • #44 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Explore the World > Mexico

More About the Author

Juan Felipe Herrera was initiated into the Word by the fire-speakers of the early Chicano Movimiento and by heavy exposure to various poetry, jazz, and blues performance streams. He is the Tomás Rivera Endowed Chair in the Department of Creative Writing at the University of California - Riverside. His published works include Border-Crosser with a Lamborghini Dream, Mayan Drifter: Chicano Poet in the Lowlands of the Americas, and Thunderweavers / Tejedoras de Rayos.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Calling the Doves, April 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Calling the Doves: El Canto de Las Palomas (Hardcover)

This bilingual picture book tells the story of poet Juan Felipe Herrera's early years with his parents who were migrant farmworkers in California. Herrera's love for his poor hardworking parents is evident. The vibrant, vivid pictures by Elly Simmons combine with Herrera's Spanish/English text to make a delightful children's book that readers of all ages will enjoy!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Bilingual Must, February 10, 2007

By 

B. L. Buckelew "old school teach" (LA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Calling the Doves/El canto de las palomas (Paperback)

I am a teacher and find this story a great example of personal narrative for my students. It also connects well with students of today.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Vivid Migrant Story, July 30, 2007

By 

Lorraine M. Racus - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Calling the Doves/El canto de las palomas (Paperback)

This is a wonderful biography of the author Juan Felipe Herrera. This story is told in narrative style through the eyes of young Felipe who was born in California to his Mexican parents. Felipe describes the warmth and love he recieves from both his mother and father. The illustrations are beautiful. The story is written in wonderful prose. Felipe tells us of his daily life in various migrant camps throughout California. I would definately read this aloud to 2nd through 4th graders. A good way to explain to younger children what life is like for a migrant family.