Skip to main content

SOÑADORA: THE ART OF YUYI MORALES

Image
By
One of my favorite things about our library are the exhibit spaces we have in The Attic and in the Anderson Art Gallery. Both spaces provide a great opportunity to visit a gallery for free and we are lucky to showcase some really incredible exhibits. Some of my favorite exhibits are when we bring in artwork done by children's book illustrators -- it is so cool to see all of the work that goes into putting a picture book together.

Starting September 7, our next exhibit will be SOÑADORA: THE ART OF YUYI MORALES featuring art from three-time Pura Belpré Award winning illustrator Yuyi Morales. If you know Yuyi's art then you are probably already as excited for this exhibit as I am. If you are less familiar with Yuyi's art, then you are certainly in for a treat. Here is a list of some of Yuyi Morales' most popular books so that you know what to look forward to!

By Yuyi Morales
New York: Neal Porter Books, 2018. Biography.

This is an autobiographical picture book about Yuyi Morales' experience as a Mexican immigrant in America. When she and her son first arrive in their strange new city, they are reluctant to speak a language they don't understand and unsure how to engage in a culture with foreign customs. But soon they discover a library filled with books and a gateway into a new world where they can find their voices. This Pura Belpré award winner is a masterful celebration of books, libraries, and imaginations filled with Yuyi's signature surrealist art.

This book is also available in Spanish as Soñadores.



By Yuyi Morales
New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2014. Biography.

This expressive biography introduces young readers to arguably the most famous Mexican artist with sparse text and multimedia illustrations. This Pura Belpré award winner and Caldecott Honor book is an emotional masterpiece that offers a dreamlike look into the mind of Frida Kahlo. This biography is emotionally very effective, thanks to Yuyi's one-of-a-kind illustrations. 

The sparse text in this book is done in bilingual English and Spanish.




By Yuyi Morales
New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2013. Picture book.

Little Lucha Libre champion Niño battles formidable opponents one-by-one in this perfectly campy picture book inspired by over the top theatrical Mexican wrestling. Niño has battled demons and bad guys one after the other, but is he ready for the most formidable opponent of all -- his little sisters? Morales' illustrations are perfectly matched to the tone of this fun book that begs to be read out loud. Saturated pages filled with exciting and dynamic action sequences are reminiscent of  comic books and vintage lucha posters.



Little Night
By Yuyi Morales
New Milford, CT: Roaring Brook Press, 2007. Picture book.

Because Yuyi Morales can really do it all, this last book is completely different in tone than her other books. In this fantastical bedtime story, Mother Sky helps her mischievous daughter Little Night get ready for bed, with a twist. Though all of Little Night's activities seem like normal bedtime stalling, we learn that nighttime is really Little Night's playtime. This sweet story is matched by resplendent illustrations made up of full-bleed pages in rich colors with a sprinkle of starlight. This is truly a magical and lovely book.

Also available in Spanish as Nochecita.

Be sure to visit The Attic starting September 7 to see more of Yuyi's art for yourself!





Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Five Faves: Mysterious High-Low Intermediate Books

By
Intermediate Mystery books are a gold mine. High-low books refer to titles that are of high interest to readers, but contain low level vocabulary. These titles are clever, action-packed, and have several books in the series to keep the mystery alive. These intermediate mystery books are the first in their series and are sure to appease any mystery loving reader. The Ghost Tree Written by Natasha Deen Illustrated by Lissy Marlin New York: Random House Children's Books, 2022. Intermediate. 95 pages. With a dash of paranormal mixed with mystery, this book introduces Asim, a Guyanese American fourth grader who moves to a new town. After a visit to a graveyard, an evil spirit is unleashed. Asim works with new friends, Rokshar and Max, to save their town. With scarily cool illustrations to accompany this text, this book is great for any amateur sleuths who love a touch of creepy. Detective Duck: The Case of the Strange Splash Written by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver Illustrated by Dan San
Post a Comment
Read more

Display: Dino-mite Reads

By
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs By Mo Willems New York: Balzar + Bray, 2012. Picture Book. "Once upon a time, there were three hungry Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur . . . and a Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway. One day--for no particular reason--they decided to tidy up their house, make the beds, and prepare pudding of varying temperatures. And then--for no particular reason--they decided to go . . . someplace else. They were definitely not setting a trap for some succulent, unsupervised little girl. Definitely not!" --Editor Smart Vs. Strong! Written by Jill Esbaum Illustrated by Miles Thompson New York: Simon Spotlight, 2021. Easy Reader. 64 pages. "When Thunder gets stuck in quicksand, Cluck uses his smarts to free his friend." --Editor How Dinosaurs Went Extinct Written by Ame Dyckman Illustrated by Jennifer Harney New York: Brown and Company, 2023. Picture Book. "When a child in a museum asks how dinosaurs became extinct, Dad co
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: The Enigma Girls

By
  The Enigma Girls By Candace Fleming New York: Scholastic Focus, 2024. Informational. 371 pages. If you have an interest in little known aspects of history or in World War II in particular, this book is for you. The Enigma Girls tells the story of 10 young women who worked at Station X at Bletchley Park in England helping to break ciphers during World War II. Each of the girls grew up in different circumstances, and thus, each worked at in a different part of Station X cracking codes. The reader learns about how Station X worked through the stories of each of the girls. Whether it was transcribing the Morse code messages that the Germans were sending to their armies or decoding, translating, or paraphrasing messages, each girl had a part to play. The stories of the girls are intermixed with plenty of photographs as well as special chapters about how to decode various types of ciphers. Learning about Station X through the eyes of the girls that worked there helps the reader gain a huma
Post a Comment
Read more