Snapshots from the Wedding [Hardcover]

Gary Soto (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 17, 1997 | Age Level: 7 and up

Maya attends a family wedding and captures it all on film, from her cousin getting rice in his eye to the cake that tasted as delicious as it looked, in a beautifully illustrated tale of a special family day.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5. Soto's picture book provides a glimpse into an American cultural tradition?a wedding with a Hispanic flair. Maya, the narrator, is a flower girl. Mariachi musicians provide the music, and for dinner the family and friends eat pollo con mole. There is a glossary for the handful of Spanish terms sprinkled throughout the text. Garcia's illustrations are wonderful. Sculpy clay figures are dressed up and carefully arranged in a wooden shadow box frame, and each page is set on a background of pastel with lace. Quirky tidbits sneak into the text and pictures?Tio Juan itches in his new shirt, Maya sticks black olives on her fingertips?these details give the narration the quality of childlike observation. The language at other times is quite sophisticated. Children who have been involved in a family wedding will easily draw comparisons to this story.?Sharon R. Pearce, San Antonio Public Library,
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 5^-8. There's nothing like a wedding, and this book about a wedding is not quite like any other. Soto takes readers to a Mexican American nuptial, and young Maya, the flower girl, is the lens through which the action is seen. All the fun of the event is here: the altar boy with the dirty sneakers under his gown, Maya putting pitted black olives on each of her fingers, the kids whacking one another with balloons. There are the more traditional moments as well--the wedding kiss, the wedding cake, and the toast to the bride and groom. The text's free verse could have been illustrated in many ways, but the choice of three-dimensional artwork was inspired. Created with Sculpy clay, acrylic paints, wood, ribbons, and flowers, the art is displayed in large boxes set against pages covered with lace. The doll-like members of the wedding are exaggerated just enough to be amusing; at times, just a body part or two are highlighted, as when Maya's feet are shown on top of her father's while they dance. Just like a wedding album, this will be looked at over and over. Ilene Cooper

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile; Stated First Impression edition (March 17, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039922808X
• ISBN-13: 978-0399228087
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,741,848 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in Fresno, California to Mexican American parents, Gary Soto learned the hard work ethic through his share of chores, including mowing lawns, picking grapes, painting house numbers on street curbs, and washing cars. His hard work paid off at California State University at Fresno, from which he graduated with an English degree, and later at the University of California at Irvine, where he earned a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.Gary Soto is an acclaimed poet, essayist, and fiction writer. The awards for this multi-talented author are many, ranging from the U.S. Award for International Poetry Forum in 1977 for his first published book of poetry, The Elements of San Joaquin, to a Before Columbus Foundation American Book Award in 1985 for Living Up the Street, his first published work of prose recollections. His short story collection Baseball in April, was named an American Library Association's Best Book for Young Adults. In 1993 Gary Soto received the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video for Pool Party, and in 1995 he was nominated for a National Book Award.His other credits include fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the California Arts Council. Gary Soto is also one of the youngest poets to appear in the Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry. Several of his books have been translated into French, Spanish and Italian.Too Many Tamales was named a Booklist Books for Youth Editors' Choices of 1993. Hazel Rochman of Booklist said, "Gary Soto is an accomplished poet and adult writer, and his children's stories are widely popular. His first entry into the picture book genre is a joyful success."When he is not writing, Mr. Soto serves as a volunteer English teacher at his church. He also enjoys eating at new restaurants, which he does often with his wife, Carolyn, and their daughter Mariko. Other members of the Soto household include their two cats, Corky and Sharkie. The Soto family resides in Berkeley, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun point of view, December 30, 2002

By 

Lynda Preston (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Snapshots From The Wedding (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (School & Library Binding)

Flower girl Maya tells the story of her cousin's wedding in vivid detail. She shares her often silly, but always observant tale of the event from a child's point of view. From the groom's broken arm to crying babies, she leaves little to the imagination.

Stephanie Garcia, illustrator of this 1998 Pura Belpre Award winner, uses a unique but effective approach by using photographs of three-dimensional picture boxes to convey the story. The boxes contain realistic clay figures and a collage of items from the wedding. The text and pictures are integrally tied, and the text often cleverly prompts the reader to look at something in the illustration.

This is such a fun book that it needs to be read several times to properly enjoy it. The writer is definitely in tune with a child's point of view.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent portrayal of a Mexican-American wedding!, June 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Snapshots from the Wedding (Hardcover)

Although this book is based on a Mexican-American wedding, the theme is universal. A child narrates the book, telling about the events that take place at a wedding. The book exquisitly portrays a family clebration through a child's eyes. It is a happy, sweet book that anyone can enjoy.

4.0 out of 5 stars Spilling Memories, November 13, 2010

By 

Djacob - See all my reviews

This review is from: Snapshots from the Wedding (Paperstar Book) (Mass Market Paperback)

A feel-good read for those who like weddings

This story takes the reader into the wedding as it happens. It can trigger memories that the reader may have from weddings that they have attended. Maya, the narrator and main character of the story, tells the story in a way so that the reader can easily visualize what she is describing.

Great illustrations that have a real-life feel to them. True Mexican traditional wedding.