Customer Reviews

The Song of the Swallows

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This summer the swallows returned to San Juan Capistrano, but many didn't nest at the mission. Due to restoration work at the mission, many of the swallows decided to nest at a single family home nearby. A family of swallows even decided to nest in the high entranceway to my neighbor's house here in Whittier [about an hour north of SJC]. It reminded me that it was time to get out my copy of Leo Politi's beautiful book Song Of The Swallows and read it again. This excellently illustrated book tells the story of the yearly nesting of the swallows through the story of the relationship between Julian, a bell ringer at the mission, and Juan, a young school boy who lives nearby. Politi's exquisite art tells the story as much or more than his words. This was one of my favorite story books from my childhood and I'm lucky to still have the copy given to me as a young boy. The story still enchants me in my middle ages. Like many older copies of Politi's books, my copy was personalized to me by Politi [he didn't just sign the books, he did a personal watercolor on the front endpaper]. Please make this story a part of your child's personal library.

The Song of the Swallows commemorates Saint Joseph's Day, which is the day when the swallows, or las golondrinas, return to their sanctuary at the Mission of San Juan Capistrano. This particular story bears significance to me because I can remember constructing a cardboard replica of the Mission as a school project; it was one of the first important assignments, second came a plaster model of the state of California, I had ever done. And there is no doubt that this was definitely a creative way to learn about history.

The story is about a young boy, Juan, who meets a gardener and bell-ringer at the Mission, Julian, and asks questions about Capistrano. He tells Juan the story of the swallows and how they always come to Capistrano during the warm spring and summer months, and how the Mission is a significant part of California and Native American history. Most importantly, the story emphasizes the kindness to nature and animals.

Leo Politi wrote and illustrated the book. And the unique aspect of his narrative is how he tells the story in English, but there is also a little bit of Spanish. The story is further enriched when Politi complements the book with a colorful array of drawings and the words to two of the songs about the swallows.

Overall, The Song of the Swallows reveals that a part of history does indeed exist in the stories that are told. And for Juan, he happened to find it just down the road from where he lived. Cleverly, Politi may have been suggesting that in any city or town, the history of the past is closer than you think.

YES. This is a memorable book. It is a lovely story of a little boy whose faith is inspired by the wondrous flight of the swallows to Capistrano. Last year, we visited the real Capistrano briefly, I was instantly reminded of this book my mother once read to us. And now I just HAD to share the story with my sons. The illustrations have a lyricism and simplicity that capture the beauty of the migrating sparrows. That impression of beauty has stayed with me over the decades.

The first time I ever heard of Leo Politi, it was not in reference to the author, but instead to the school that was named after him. Then one day, I was walking through a Los Angeles Unified School District office, when a painting from another Politi book stopped me dead in my tracks. I couldn't explain it, but it was the most simple and yet whimsical thing I had ever seen. The painting was of Moy Moy, the title character in a book about Chinese New Year in Los Angeles's China Town.

Politi loved Los Angeles, and it makes no difference that picture books this old definitely feature a style of writing that would be frowned upon today, Politi's stories come from the heart. Song of the Swallows, to me, is an important story, because though one reviewer referred to its minor detours into political incorrectness, I feel that those were the true feelings of that time, and it is important for children to understand that people's attitudes change over time.

I believe that Politi's Song of the Swallows is one of the most compelling reads for fourth grade students who must learn about the mission system, as it is told from the eyes of a child. It was awarded a Caldecott Medal in 1950, and it is clear to me why it is still in print in paperback form today. It captures a brilliant little piece of California history. For those that sing or play the piano, there is even a song about "Las Golondrinas" to learn.

After reading this book, children are begging to go to the Mission San Juan Capistrano on that special day to see if the swallows really come. If you ever happen to visit on any given March 19th, you will see that they really do.

This gentle story is illustrated by the author, the inimitable Leo Polit, with deceptively simple yet masterful paintings. Politi's kind and wise vision of the world is a gift that our children need now more than ever. It is a shame that so many of his books, which should be classics, are out of print. His depictions of children, their families, the animals and all the gifts of the earth are uplifting and magical.

Song of the Swallows is the story of a young boy named Juan and his elderly friend Julian. Both characters love to walk around the old Spanish Mission church were the swallows come to nest every spring. Juan loves to watch the birds raise their young and teach them to fly. One day the swallows leave to take their annual flight south, but as always they will return on Saint Joseph's Day. Juan is downhearted that his small friends have left but decides that he will make a garden in front of his house. Maybe the some of the swallows will want to next there next spring. The following months are lonely but Juan remains hopeful and finally the swallows return to the Mission...and two come to nest in Juan's little garden.
The pictures in Song of the Swallows are simple and childlike. The simplicity of the drawings only adds to the beauty of the story. Since the story centers on a young boy, the pictures portray a dreamlike quality that give the readers a feeling of looking back on a childhood memory. The soft colors that the author uses give the story a timeless quality.

This is an old picture book that won the Caldecott Medal for illustration in 1950. It is a cute tale of a young Mexican-American boy who lives by the Mission San Juan Capistrano. Juan visits the mission coming home from school to visit his friend Julian, the old gentleman who works there.

The colorful drawings evoke San Juan years and years ago and are very touching, especially if you live in that area or have visited. The story of the swallows coming to Capistrano on St. Joseph's Day also shows the qualities of patience and hope little Juan has. He plants a garden to attract the swallows to his adobe home as well. A beautiful and timeless tale.

This children's book won the 1950 Caldecott Medal for best illustration in a book for children. The story concerns a boy named Juan in southern California who comes to love the swallows that fly to San Juan Capistrano each year. He is sad at first when they leave but discovers how happy he feels when they return.

Juan in interested in the return of the swallows and wants to make them a home for the next year. The town can not wait for the return of the swallows the next year.

I love the pictures, so colorful and brillant

Sweet as honey on the vine. I may be completely wrong in saying this, but I do believe this is the first Caldecott Award winning book to incorporate both English and Spanish phrases in its text. Taking a sweet story and extending it into a tale of patience and perseverance, author Leo Politi wrote a wonderful intergenerational tale.

The story follows Juan, a young boy living in the California town of Capistrano, and Julian, an elderly man who works at the nearby mission. Juan and Julian get along peachy keen. In a "Secret Garden" like turn of events, Juan notices the sparrows in the garden. Julian teaches the boy their ways and how they leave every fall, only to return on Saint Joseph's Day. How do the birds know to come back that day? Says Julian, "That I do not know". Juan watches with sadness as the birds leave exactly as Julian said they would, but prepares a small garden at his own house in the hopes of attracting a sparrow family of his own. When, on a late Saint Joseph's Day, the birds do come back, Juan is delighted to find two of them perched in front of his home as happy as can be.

My initial glance at this book was one of disappointment. At first I found the pictures toneless and flat. On a second look, however, I realized how nicely they compliment the story. Sometimes the illustrations are painted in mild greys and pinks around the borders of the pages. Other times, they are grand colorful two-page spreads displaying everything from a bird's eye view of Juan running into the Mission's enormous gardens to an aerial shot of the countryside as the sparrows wind their way south for the winter. The illustrations of the sparrows themselves are especially nice. It is clear that Politi took care to render them realistically and with affection. I was especially taken with the shots of the two sleeping sparrows cuddled close to one another under a mild pink moon.

Most picture books of this age retain something mildly offensive about them. It's not their fault, necessarily. They just convey messages we deem irresponsible today. In this case, the book is mostly politically incorrect-free. A single exception could be Julian's loving description of the missionaries of California. According to him they used, "to take care of sick Indians" as well as bringing them "many of the things they needed in their daily life". Frankly, I think the Indians were doing just fine without the supposedly nice missionaries, but this is Julian's story. I'm sure he believes what he is saying, and I'm quite certain that author Politi does as well. This section is brief, and has little to do with the rest of the book. If you find yourself overwhelmingly offended by it, it's the easiest thing in the world to simply skip these pages when reading to the tiny tots.

In general, this is a strong story. Sweet in its storytelling, impressive in its execution, and enjoyable in its use of Spanish, I think it's a tale that resonates as magnificently today as it ever did. Take the time to discover it, if you can. Tis a pure expression of the idyllic years of childhood.