Naty's Parade [Hardcover]

Gina Freschet (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 22, 2000 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

A colorful, surreal trip to a Mexican fiesta

Naty is so excited - this is the first year she gets to be one of the puppet people in the parade celebrating Guelaguetza, a July festival of folk dances in southern Mexico. At first the sights are overwhelming - the feather dancers, the pi-a (pineapple) girls, the fish-men who perform El Pescado, the dance of the fish. Then her father helps her into her mouse costume and sees her off to a safe start in the parade, but in the excitement of the hustle-bustle, Naty drops her clay whistle and becomes lost. Mustering all her courage, she finds her way back to the parade just before nightfall and is soon reunited with her father. This simple story, told in a distinctly childlike voice, is brought to life in Freschet's exuberantly colorful oil paintings, which feature sights strange and magical and which capture the essence of Mexico.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Naty, a Mexican girl, can't wait to wear her pointy-toed boots and mouse costume in Oaxaca's Guelaguetza festival, a midsummer carnival of musicians, food vendors and dancers in elaborate disguises. "The pi?a girls have come from the north to do the pineapple dance. And sunflower girls from the south smile like butterflies." Disoriented by the kaleidoscopic sights and sounds, Naty gets lost in the side streets. Yet she soon notices local landmarks and gets back to the center of town: "The shop where they make the pi?atas. And the Frog Burger sign. / -S!, s!, s!! Yes, yes, yes!/ First turn right and then turn left." Freschet (The Lute's Tune) adds a few Spanish words to this accessible travelogue, and she paints the chaotic scenery in fiesta colors of jalape?o green, hot-pepper red and tortilla golden yellow, under an azure sky. Ordinary cars and buildings appear alongside surreal organic shapes and transparent portraits of angels, mimicking the vibrant confusion of the village celebration. The dreamlike, folk-art-inspired imagery may remind art lovers of Chagall, with a tropical vivacity. Ages 4-8. (Mar.) FYI: A simultaneous Mirasol Spanish edition, La procesi?n de Naty, is also available ($16 -36136-3).
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-Ebullient Naty is thrilled. It's the festival of Guelaguetza, and she gets to march in the parade of the puppet people, wearing her new mouse costume and cowboy boots. There's music and dancing and excitement, and in the middle of it all, the child gets lost. At first she is scared, but her inventiveness, intelligence, and enthusiasm help her to find and rejoin the parade. The rhythmic narrative moves along swiftly, pulling listeners in with repeated sound phrases: "ta-ta-ta," "zing-zing-zing." The brilliant, antic illustrations give a true sense of the hurly-burly of a street festival, and Naty is an engaging heroine. This sprightly and involving introduction to the two-day Oaxacan celebration is a perfect complement to George Ancona's Carnaval (Harcourt, 1999).
Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (March 22, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374355002
• ISBN-13: 978-0374355005
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 9.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,939,224 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A little girl's big day at her town's festival., February 4, 2007

By 

Marci Twain (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Naty's Parade (Hardcover)

I'm struggling with the star rating I am choosing for this book. Part of me says 3 stars, and part of me says 4. I wasn't particularly impressed with the illustrations. And the story could have been written so it was more interesting. But the illustrations and the text worked well together, and I think kids will like having this book read to them. There are 20 pages of story included between the book's covers.

The story is about a little girl who for the past year had been planning to attend her town's festival where she expected to participate as costumed dancer. Her costume made her look like a mouse. While dancing in the parade she spun herself a little too much and got lost for a brief time. And by the end of the book she was back in the parade and on her way home with her dad enjoying pleasant thoughts.

I would have liked the book better if the illustrations had been done differently. The coloring of many of them made me feel like the book's title should have been Naty's Party rather than Naty's Parade. And I didn't quite buy into the parts where Naty was wandering town streets as a young girl with few people present to keep her safe. 4 stars!

5.0 out of 5 stars Beutifully Illustrated Tale Captures Mexican Culture, February 12, 2001

By 

Ms Camilla J. Brooks (New York,NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Naty's Parade (Hardcover)

This vibrant, beautifully illustrated children's tale of a little Mexican girl's participation in her first fiesta captures the excitement and fear of any child's "first." Naty is delighted to be part of this special day and is also resourceful and determined in conquering her fears, which provides great modeling for young children. The colorful, fantastical illustrations of dancers, townspeople, and local customs captures the energy and essence of Mexican culture. Freschet also peppers the story with simple Spanish words, which is a great teaching tool. My 4 year old loves this book!

4.0 out of 5 stars Naty's Parade, July 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Naty's Parade (Hardcover)

Gina Freschet's involving tale can be purchased in either the English or the Spanish language. Naty is excited for the opportunity to march in a large annual parade. She will be walking the parade route dressed as a mouse. While in the parade, she becomes caught up in all of the excitement and finds herself lost. Naty is resourceful and uses the familiar landmarks to guide her back to the parade. The book is complete with vibrant, eye-catching illustrations that will capture the attention of young readers.