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Tomas and the Library Lady
by
Pat Mora,
Raúl Colón
"A gentle text and innovative artwork depict a pivotal summer in a boy's life when he and his family leave their Texas home for farm work in Iowa. One morning, while his parents pick corn, Tomás visits the imposing town library and meets a kindly librarian who gently coaxes him inside. Throughout the hot days thereafter, she offers Tomás cool drinks of water and adventurou...more
Paperback, 40 pages
Published
February 22nd 2000
by Dragonfly Books
(first published September 23rd 1997)
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Tomas is young boy who loves stories. His parents are migrant farm workers who spend the winter in Texas and the summer in Iowa. Tomas meets a friendly librarian and discovers a world of imagination in books.
Founder of El Dia de los Ninos, Pat Mora is a Mexican-American author. This book explores the Mexican-American family experience. Tomas is an authentic character. His story was written by a Chicana and is based on the true story of Tomas Rivera, a national education leader. The vivid illust...more
Founder of El Dia de los Ninos, Pat Mora is a Mexican-American author. This book explores the Mexican-American family experience. Tomas is an authentic character. His story was written by a Chicana and is based on the true story of Tomas Rivera, a national education leader. The vivid illust...more
Mar 07, 2010
Dolly
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
parents reading with their children
This is a true story about a little boy who gained inspiration, support and knowledge from a kindly library lady. His family members were migrant farmers and they moved around a lot. But for one summer, he was able to see the wonders of reading and how great it is to spend time in a library. And that was the start of a remarkable education and a successful career that touched many student's lives.
This story was selected as one of the books for the May 2010 - Latino reads at the Picture-Book Club...more
This story was selected as one of the books for the May 2010 - Latino reads at the Picture-Book Club...more
This non-fiction book targets migrant Hispanic farm workers. In this book, Tomas, the son of Hispanic farm workers, travels from Texas to Iowa with his family for the summer. While is parents harvested fruits and vegetables, Tomas would listen to his Grandfather’s stories which soon became predictable. Tomas was urged by his Grandfather to go to the library and learn new stories to share with his family. The boy quickly struck up a relationship with the librarian and was even trusted with books...more
Published in 2001 by Tandem Library
Interest Level: 3rd-5th Grade
This book is about the son of a migrant family that moves from Texas to Iowa for work. At first it explores the life of a child in a migrant family and they types of activities that Tomas participates in, but then later Tomas discovers the town librarian and begins to read voraciously. The illustrations begin to mirror these explorations as Tomas begins to bring his books home and pictures the stories in them. This is a great book t...more
Interest Level: 3rd-5th Grade
This book is about the son of a migrant family that moves from Texas to Iowa for work. At first it explores the life of a child in a migrant family and they types of activities that Tomas participates in, but then later Tomas discovers the town librarian and begins to read voraciously. The illustrations begin to mirror these explorations as Tomas begins to bring his books home and pictures the stories in them. This is a great book t...more
Tomás and the Library Lady by Pat Mora
Illustrated by Raul Colón
Ages K-4
32p Publisher: Dragonfly Books 2000
This book is based upon the real life experiences of Tomás Rivera, the son of migrant worker parents, who valued education and eventually became the chancellor of the University of California at Riverside. In Tomás and the Library Lady, Tomás is the young son of migrant laborers who leave their home in Texas to find work in Iowa. When it became too hot in the fields, Tomas liked to hear his...more
Illustrated by Raul Colón
Ages K-4
32p Publisher: Dragonfly Books 2000
This book is based upon the real life experiences of Tomás Rivera, the son of migrant worker parents, who valued education and eventually became the chancellor of the University of California at Riverside. In Tomás and the Library Lady, Tomás is the young son of migrant laborers who leave their home in Texas to find work in Iowa. When it became too hot in the fields, Tomas liked to hear his...more
May 06, 2010
Kathryn
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
childrens-picture-books,
history
I really appreciated the kind and wise library lady in Tomás and the Library Lady. I love how perceptive she was about Tomás' circumstances, always making sure he got something cool to drink, and being so encouraging of him sharing his language with her--it made it so they were equal learners in the process and I think that is just so darn important! Kids need to know that they can share things with adults! I also loved the sharing across generations, with the grandfather telling his stories and...more
Nov 06, 2009
Tami Roberts
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
pb-different-culture
1st – 5th Grade (Read aloud/Independent Reading)
Raul Colón used a unique illustrating style; the images in this book appear as if he used an etching tool on his painting to give the pictures a distinct texture. Many of the pictures in this book are obviously framed, with the exception of Tomás’ playful and imaginative scenes, the picture goes beyond the frame into the negative space on the page. “Tomás and the Library Lady” is written in mostly English, containing one – three paragraphs per page...more
Raul Colón used a unique illustrating style; the images in this book appear as if he used an etching tool on his painting to give the pictures a distinct texture. Many of the pictures in this book are obviously framed, with the exception of Tomás’ playful and imaginative scenes, the picture goes beyond the frame into the negative space on the page. “Tomás and the Library Lady” is written in mostly English, containing one – three paragraphs per page...more
Oct 30, 2009
(NS) Dana
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction
Tomas comes from a family that for years his parents have been migrant workers. After long days of work, Tomas enjoys relaxing with the other workers and hearing stories from Grandpa in Spanish. Tomas loves these stories and is old enough to visit the library by himself. Tomas begins a new adventure in the world of books once he discovers what the library has to offer. He meets a wonderful librarian who is eager to share with Tomas. The lady librarian checks books out for Tomas who in turn share...more
Aug 25, 2009
Bernadette
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
childrens-fiction
I have heard of this book many times and was excited to see it on the library shelf as one of my choices. I had no idea I would like the book this much. I didn't realize that it was inspired by the real life story of Tomas Rivera. This would be a great book for all students, but especially those that could relate to Tomas' life. And sharing with the students the true story of Tomas Rivera could be very inspirational for all readers. My favorite aspect of the book was that, when describing what T...more
Sep 23, 2011
Morgan Leech
added it
I thought Tomas and the Library Lady was a really cute book for children to read and I even really enjoyed it myself. The impact that the librarian and the books have on Tomas' life is really enjoying to read about. Tomas gets the courage to pay a visit to the Library from his grandfather who traveled with his family to Iowa on their adventure to pick fruits and vegetables. Tomas becomes friends with the Librarian and she even gives him a book for him to take home of his own. When reading this b...more
Aug 12, 2010
Colleen Vincent
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
children-s-books-about-libraries
Inspired by the life of Tomas Rivera, Chancellor of UC Riverside. Tomas and his family are migrant farm workers traveling from state to state. Every summer they settle in Iowa to do field work. Tomas' grandfather, Papa Grande, tells stories to pass the time. One day Papa Grande suggests that Tomas visit the public library. When Tomas arrives at the library the library lady offers him a cold drink and helps him pick out books about animals that he can borrow with her account. Tomas brings the sto...more
This book is written by Pat Mora, who is well-known for writing multicultural Latino children's books. While written in English, Spanish words and phrases are mixed within the pages for some of the dialogue spoken between a few of the characters. It's about a little boy named Tomas, who is starting a new journey in his life while traveling to Iowa. His parents are farm workers, and their work requires them to leave their home in Texas for an entire season. Tomas finds a new friend, the librarian...more
I usually don't review kids books just because. But I decided I would review some every once in a while. This book was an assignment for a school reading challenge during the month of October. Then they have a party with the families at the school. The book was entertaining and I enjoyed demonstrating the love of the library. I loved the mix of adding some Spanish words to the book. What I loved best was it was based on a true story. This boy learned to love stories and was a migrant worker he l...more
Jan 19, 2012
Anna
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Parents and teachers
Shelves:
childrens
One of my favorite picture books of all time. Tomas, the son of migrant workers, loved listening to stories that his grandfather would tell in the evenings at their camp. He knew he could learn even more stories at the library, but because he was a migrant he could not get a library card.
The town librarian allowed Tomas to take books with him, checking them out to him in her own name. Tomas was thrilled and took the books back to the camp and read the stories aloud to his family.
When they leave...more
The town librarian allowed Tomas to take books with him, checking them out to him in her own name. Tomas was thrilled and took the books back to the camp and read the stories aloud to his family.
When they leave...more
Tomas and the Library Lady is a wonderful story about a boy named Tomas; Tomas’ parents are migrant workers and as a result, Tomas misses his life in Texas when they travel to Iowa every year to work in the fields. At first, Tomas hates the idea of having to leave Texas every year. However, once his grandfather makes the suggestion that he should go to the library in Iowa in order to learn new stories to tell, Tomas discovers a whole new world. Tomas enjoys reading and reads as much as he possib...more
This historical fiction picture book is inspired by the life of Tomas Rivera. It tells about a young boy named Tomas who had to travel across the U.S. with his family as they pick crops to support themselves. Tomas is fascinated by his grandfather’s stories and soon becomes a storyteller himself. After going to the library to read books, Tomas goes home and shares the stories he read with his family. At the library he develops a friendship with the library lady who helps him choose books to read...more
Tomás and the Library Lady, by Pat Mora is of the books that inspired me to be a school librarian. Tomás Rivera is the child of migrant workers, who worked the fields in Texas during the winter and the fields in Iowa during in summer. A librarian in an Iowa town takes an interest in Tomás and welcomes him to the library each day, asking what he likes and finding books that appeal to him. Tomás spends only that summer in the Iowa town, but the kindness and encouragement of the library lady had a...more
The story of Tomas told the life story of a migrant workers family and how the kids of these workers deals with the life. Tomas lived in Texas in the winter and Iowa in the summer and seemed to be in a fairly poor family. By the way of the pictures Tomas and his family appear to be Hispanic because he knows English and Spanish. He goes to the library for the first time and meets the librarian and they become good friends. Tomas goes to the library every day to get cold water and read a few stori...more
Jan 26, 2010
Dena
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
multicultural,
picture-books
This beautifully illustrated picture book tells the story of a boy named Tomas whose working family travels from Texas through Iowa following the crops. Tomas' enjoys listening to his grandfather tell his stories each day as they rest in the shade of the tree. One day Grandfather suggests that Tomas check out the library for some new stories. The librarian welcomes him and Tomas finds himself far away from the crops and in places only books can take you. Tomas shares his new stories with his fam...more
Tomas and the Library Lady was a good book. The story was about a boy, Tomas, who was very interested in stories. One day he was told to go to the library to learn more stories. At the library he met the librarian who introduced him to numerous books. When he read books he could imagine everything as if he was in the book that he was reading. With the help of the librarian he started to love books. In the author’s note it explained how this story was about Tomas Rivera and gave a brief overview...more
Oct 30, 2012
Hayden Drescher
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
my-bookshelf
I don’t know the exact back-story to this book but I do know that the overall plot of it is true. Tomás Riviera was a real boy who had a grand and imaginative relationship with a librarian that inspired him to read. My favorite part of the book was when Tomás became a cowboy friendly to the Indians because I always imagined myself as a cowboy when I was young. This book has so much potential within the classroom because every kid has a different imagination so every place would be different for...more
Jun 25, 2012
Shelli
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
picture-books,
my-favorites
Tomas is the son of immigrant farm workers who travel from Texas to Iowa during different times of the year to work in the fields. Tomas and his cousins assist their parents during the day bringing water out to them as they work. At night they play with make shift toys and tell stories with their great grandfather. Grandfather sends Tomas to the library to learn new stories to share. At the library Tomas befriends a kindly librarian who does what all librarians do, shares the love of books and r...more
I thought this book was very intriguing. Mora incorporated Spanish throughout the book very fluidly and naturally. It wasn't distracting for non-Spanish speakers and the story was very fun. Tomas is based on Tomas Rivera and his real life experiences as a child. The eagerness Tomas has and the way he finds peace and comfort in any story is inspiring. As he travels back and forth, the lessons he learned and taught stay with him. Mora developed an endearing character and a relatable story. The sto...more
Glowing, affecting illustrations. Bought this book after seeing an exhibition of the artist's work at the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature. He starts with a gold wash on his paper, then adds layers of watercolor and finishes with a scratching technique - all with wonderful effect. I wouldn't have bought it though (that's what the library's sometimes for!), if the writing wasn't good too. Loved the story of this man who started life in a family of migrant workers and became c...more
I think this book was a good way to introduce the endless options libraries have to offer. This book also shows hispanic kids that there authors who write books about stuff they can relate to. Going to the library can be fun and it's free. It is a place that can be taken for granted. The library lady in the story was very nice to Thomas. She made him feel comfortable and welcome. When the grandfather told Thomas to find new storis, it was a sign that he growing up and he needed to expand his ima...more
Wonderful Book Adventures
Tomas and the Library Lady is a really good book, with wonderful illustrations. The illustrations make the book come to life, there is quite a bit of text in this book, however, the pages are full of illustrative imagination. This book was actually inspired by Tomas Rivera who was "encouraged to read by a librarian." This book tells the story of a little boy traveling with his family and he meets a librarian whom he forms an inspiring relationship with because she shows...more
Tomas and the Library Lady is a really good book, with wonderful illustrations. The illustrations make the book come to life, there is quite a bit of text in this book, however, the pages are full of illustrative imagination. This book was actually inspired by Tomas Rivera who was "encouraged to read by a librarian." This book tells the story of a little boy traveling with his family and he meets a librarian whom he forms an inspiring relationship with because she shows...more
Nov 30, 2008
Cynthia
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
primary and intermediate grades
This beautiful,moving story is based on true events in the life of Tomas Rivera, who became the chancellor of the University of California at Riverside. Tomas was the son of migrant farm workers who spent winters in Texas and summers in Iowa. One summer he visited the library, where the librarian welcomed him and helped him find captivating books. Tomas spends many summer days immersed in books,until the time comes for his family to return to Texas.
I think this book would pair well with Harvesti...more
I think this book would pair well with Harvesti...more
May 05, 2010
Lisa Vegan
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who has found joy and transformation because of books, libraries, librarians
This is a lovely and inspiring story. If not for the note about the story at the end of the book, which gives information about Tomås Rivera’s life, I’d have thought the ending of the story was sad though.
I loved the illustrations. The way color is used is wonderful, and I like the muted quality of the pictures.
I appreciated how this migrant worker boy was helped by a librarian to find so much joy in books. Both the story and illustrations do a fabulous job of showing how the stories in books ca...more
I loved the illustrations. The way color is used is wonderful, and I like the muted quality of the pictures.
I appreciated how this migrant worker boy was helped by a librarian to find so much joy in books. Both the story and illustrations do a fabulous job of showing how the stories in books ca...more
I absolutely and totally love this book. The illustrations are beautiful, as is the story. It is about how a librarian touches the life of a young boy - the son of a migrant worker.
It's based on a true story, and a biographical note is included at the end. If you ever wonder about the possibility of making a difference in a young person's life, pick up this book. It will encourage you. Who would have guessed the impact that one librarian would have on a migrant, and where it would lead him.
The b...more
It's based on a true story, and a biographical note is included at the end. If you ever wonder about the possibility of making a difference in a young person's life, pick up this book. It will encourage you. Who would have guessed the impact that one librarian would have on a migrant, and where it would lead him.
The b...more
Mar 03, 2012
Gundula
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
children interested in the history of migrant farm workers, children interested in libraries
I think what I appreciate most about about this simply wonderful picture book is how sensitive, caring and culturally aware the Library Lady is towards Tomas. She not only inspires his love of books, she is very much aware of his potential problems and requirements. The first time Tomas arrives at the library, the Library Lady gives him a cool glass of water to drink, and she actually signs out the library books for him in her own name. Not only does this show her sensitivities to the possible n...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Historical fiction book review | 1 | 1 | Jun 18, 2012 02:43pm |
Pat Mora (born 1942) is a female Mexican-American author and poet. Pat Mora was born in El Paso, Texas. She is married and has 3 grown children.
More about Pat Mora...
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Apr 15, 2009 01:14pm