Pat Mora's Blog, page 12

Autumn Gold

A Thanksgiving haiku from Pat:

Autumn Gold
Luscious recipes.
Families ring, thank, share, laugh, tease.
Giving warms our hearts.

Illustration by Raphael Lopez from Yum! ¡Mmm! ¡Qué Rico! America’s Sproutings

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Illustrator Recognition for Bookjoy, Wordjoy

Raúl Colón’s art from Bookjoy, Wordjoy has been chosen for the 2018 Original Art, the Society of Illustrators’ annual juried exhibition celebrating the fine art of children’s book illustration. Original Art showcases art from the year’s best children’s books as determined by a jury of outstanding illustrators, art directors, and editors.

Art from the featured artists will be shared in an exhibit from November 7 through January 5, 2019. Congratulations, Raúl!

Click to see larger image

Click to...

Looking Ahead to Día de los Muertos: The Remembering Day

In the bilingual picture book The Remembering Day/El día de los muertos, Pat created an origin myth in which she imagined how the Mexican custom of remembering deceased loved ones came to be. Day of the Dead (El día de los muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, in particular the Central and South regions, and by people of Mexican heritage elsewhere.

Hopefully homes, libraries and schools can use this book to introduce this custom to children and suggest creating an oppor...

National Day on Writing: #WhyIWrite

Every year on October 20, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) celebrates the importance, joy, and evolution of writing. Find ideas and more on NCTE’s website.

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What Are You Reading For National Reading Group Month?

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Congratulations to the 2018 Mora Award winners!

Johnson City Library, in Johnson City, Texas, has received the 2018 Estela and Raúl Mora Award, an honor given by Pat and her sister, Stella Mora Henry, in partnership with First Book. The award recognizes literacy activities during the month of April in celebration of Children’s Day, Book Day; also known as El día de los niños, El día de los libros; or Día. Johnson City Library will receive a $1,000 credit for brand new books from the First Book Marketplace, as well as a Mora Award plaque to...

Welcoming Pat’s Seventh Adult Poetry Collection

Today is the publication day for Encantado: Desert Monologues, Pat’s seventh adult poetry collection. Pat writes:

Ten years ago, I returned to Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters. I became intrigued by writing short monologues with the hope of, perhaps, seeing the poems performed. I was also pondering the issues raised by Thornton Wilder in Our Town and the whole notion of “our town,” the public and private lives we live.

Life is complex. People often hide their deepest fears and feel...

Inviting Autumn to Swirl In

A poem and a picture to celebrate the first day of autumn!

Poem & picture from Water Rolls, Water Rises/El agua rueda, el agua sube, by Pat Mora
and illustrated by Meilo So. Click for larger image.

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Share Bookjoy for Hispanic Heritage Month!

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September is Library Card Sign-up Month

To celebrate, here’s a poem about Tomás Rivera, the subject of Pat’s book Tomás and the Library Lady.

Library Magic
“¡Vámos! Let’s go to the library!”
Tomás says to his family.
He shows them his favorite books
and his cozy reading nooks.

“¡Vámos! Let’s go to the library!”
Tomás says to his friends. “Hurry!”
They see libros in stacks and rows.
They laugh at funny puppet shows.

“¡Vámos! Let’s all go to the library!”
Join the fun, a treasure house that’s free.
Bring your friends and famil...