A Birthday Basket for Tia

by Pat Mora, Cecily Lang (Illustrator)

With the help of her mischievous cat, Cecilia finds the perfect birthday present for her Tía.

Today is Tía's birthday! Cecilia wants to surprise her great-aunt with a very special present. But what could it be? Could it be Tía’s favorite mixing bowl that she and Cecilia used to make delicious bizcochos ? Could it be a ball like the one Tía played with as a little girl in Mexico? With the help of her cat, Chica, Cecilia plants the perfect surprise. And Tía has a very special surprise for Cecilia, too!

Genres: Picture Books, Cultural, Family, Fiction, Childrens, School, Realistic Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, heartwarming tale about a close extended family. A young girl wants to give her great-aunt (Tia in Spanish) a wonderful gift for Tia's 90th birthday. So Cecilia puts together a basket of all the items that remind her of Tia and the things they do together. It's a sweet story with colorful, cut-paper illustrations that portray a closeness between multiple generations of family.

[Christine Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the help and interference of her cat Chica, Cecilia prepares a surprise gift for her great-aunt's ninetieth birthday.

Subjects

Great-aunts
Gifts
Hispanic (Mexican American)
Cats
Birthdays - Tia's 90th birthday
* Audiobooks

[Ellice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story of a young girl gathering meaningful gifts for her aunt's 90th birthday party. Both the story and the illustrations are delightful. Chica the cat steals the show just a bit.

[Brittany Arcuri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderful book that shares Spanish culture with readers! The young character wants to give her aunt something special for her birthday so she searches around to find the perfect items that her aunt will love and puts them all in a basket for her. Colorful pictures within the book will also be enjoyable for young readers.

[Mackenzie Wardle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cecilia and her cat search the house for the perfect gift for her great aunt's ninetieth birthday. She finds a basket and puts their favorite book in it. They have read the book while the cat tries to join in. Cecilia puts her aunt's favorite mixing bowl in the basket so they can bake cookies. Next, a flower pot in placed in the basket that they use to plant beautiful flowers. Then a teacup is found that her aunt uses when Cecilia gets sick. A red ball and flowers are also in the basket because they remind Cecilia of her aunt. All of their favorite things and activities are put in the special basket to surprise her great aunt. For the part, Cecilia and her mother fill up the piñata, put out flowers, and finish the cakes. Then family, friends, and the musicians arrive. They quiet down as the guest of honor walks threw the door. The great aunt is ecstatic to see all her family and friends there to celebrate her birthday. Cecilia gives her aunt the special gift to open. What do you know, the cat jumps in the basket! There was laughter and dancing the evening of the special birthday celebration.

[Chambreeka · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little girl wants to give her Tia (aunt) a special gift for her ninetieth birthday. Cecilia then puta together a basket of all the things that remind her of her aunt and the things they do together. The book shows a family consisting of multiple generations all coming together to celebrate a birthday and have a good time filled with love. The illustrations in the book are very deep warm colors that tie into the story perfectly and really give the reader a sense of the setting. The illustrations also depict exactly what the words say so it is easy for students to connect the text to the image. The book has many words that are in Spanish but they are also shown in English which will help students reference both languages when reading. Students can also see how birthdays are celebrated differently in other cultures like Cecilia stuffing the piñata. I would recommend this book to grades 1-3 as a way to teach about language and culture. The story is also relatable and realistic for students to properly learn from and enjoy reading this realistic fiction.

[Liza · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about a little girl, Cecilia, who is preparing for her great- aunt's birthday. Cecilia searches the house looking for a perfect gift for her tia (aunt). She includes things that remind her tia of her life in Mexico. This story is filled with great images that show happiness and love in doing something special for a family member. The illustrations show the love the little girl has for her tia and her family. The mom cooking and preparing for the party could be looked at as stereotypical of a Latino multicultural book, but it fits well with the context of the story. The story is written by a Mexican American author and also integrates many Spanish words into the text which provides realism for the reader.

[Emily Krafcik · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not one of my favorite stories, but it still could be a great reading/learning tool for young children. This text contains a lot of Spanish which young students may not know if they do not come from a Spanish background. A birthday celebration from a Spanish background is a little different than from an American one, and this gives children a little peek into what those differences are. This was a leveled reader so it contains a glossary and highlights some important vocabulary words, so that was helpful. I just felt like their was a lot of repetitive language than could have been avoided like repeating characters names nine times on a page. Overall the book was in good condition and could be a helpful learning tool, but definitely not one of my favorites.

[Samantha Marapese · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a very good book to have in a classroom for ELL students. The book provides words in both English and Spanish in some spots, like the numbers so students can differentiate between the language, which will be helpful for you ELL's who are struggling to make connections. The book also shows the different traditions a Hispanic family may have for a birthday which is also good from our English students, because they can begin to understand the differences between cultures and how one may celebrate something a little differently. Loved this book and can see myself having it in my future classroom.

[Christine Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book about cooking with family. I wish the size of the book was a bit larger. I have used it in storytimes, and it works ok. However, I prefer larger illustrations when working with a large group. Simple Spanish is included, but no glossary.


With the help and interference of her cat Chica, Cecilia prepares a surprise gift for her great-aunt's ninetieth birthday.





Subjects


Great-aunts -- Fiction


Gifts -- Fiction


Mexican Americans -- Fiction


Cats -- Fiction


Birthdays -- Fiction

[Mary Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is about a Spanish family that is close and love and cares about each other. Cecilia’s great-aunt Tia is having a birthday and she wants it to be special for her. She goes around collecting things that remind her of her great aunt and things that they do together to surprise her. Cecilia included a book that they read together, flower pot, mixing bowl, and some other things. This book is good for ELL students or introducing Spanish to students because it includes some Spanish words and Hispanic cultural aspects.

[Krista Ginnis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book about family, giving, and being happy together. They are throwing a surprise birthday party for Tia, and Cecilia wants to make sure it goes perfectly. She works so hard to prepare the perfect gift for Tia. Cecilia is able to throw the perfect birthday party with the help of her mother, her cat Chica is always where the action is. This is a book of kindness, generosity, respect and family.

[Emily Metheny · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young girl wants to give her Tia (Spanish for great aunt) the perfect birthday gift. This is heartwarming and a special book. The reader can see how important and how much this gift means to the young girl. This book includes many Spanish words that can be educational for students who do not have a Spanish speaking background. Also, the mix between English and Spanish help to make this a great book for ELL.

[Maxine Fife · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about a little girl and her cat Chica. Throughout this story the little girl is planning for her tia’s 90th birthday. She collects items from around her house and put them into the basket. The items are things that remind her of her tia. I really like this book and thought it was very cute. I think this book would be great for children who may be learning English because this book has Spanish words in them and the English words.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of a young girl preparing a birthday basket for her grandma. It's a simple story about a young girl's love for her grandma. It seems authentic, but the grandma/grandaughter relationship is one that has been depicted a lot in latino literature. I wasn't crazy about the illustrations. They are sort of collage-y and the colors are kind of garish.

[Kayla Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is about a little girl named Ceceilia who wants to give her aunt a basket filled with their special memories. The book is great for the class because once again, there is a usage of Spanish words throughout the text. This book can help children learn a new language, and they will be able to pick it up better because they are young.

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Pat Mora's sweet--but not cloying--story of an inter-generational friendship. The cut-paper illustrations are very well done. Readers will connect with Cecelia's desire to make her great aunt's birthday very special. Mora weaves in Spanish words and Hispanic cultural references while still making the book understandable and accessible to all readers. A lovely book.

[Mia Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a very cute book, and it is really enjoyable to read. I loved that it has the concept of culture, and language in it. I also really enjoyed the fact that this story was about love, happiness, and family, as I have a very large and close family. The illustrations were very entertaining. I do think that younger audiences would enjoy this book.

[Suzanne Koziol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cecilia wants to give her great aunt the best birthday present for her 90th birthday. This book shows an awesome bond between extended families. A young girl being so sweet and wanting to do something nice for her Tia ( aunt in Spanish). The colorful illustrations only add to this book that sends a great message to people of all ages.

[Alfajirikali · Rating 5 out of 5]

We really enjoyed this one. Athena was pleased that there were a couple Spanish phrases she understood, she liked the characters, and especially enjoyed that the cat was included as a featured character throughout the story.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved how spanish was interwoven in with the english text. A gentle, heartwarming story of a child and her love for her great-aunt, who is turning 90. I loved the gift she made for her Tia. Simple, pretty illustrations.

[Ashley Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cecelia has trouble picking out the right gift for her aunt's birthday. Eventually, Cecilia decides to give her aunt a basket full of memories.

setting- Cecilia's house

grade- Pre K/2nd

use- I would use this to teach my students about diversity

[Tim Schraad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This as a good book that touches on the aspect of family. It shows how we should care and go out of our way for loved ones to make their special day as special as possible. I like the message to this story.

[Drew Slanina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was cute. It was based on a girl named Cecilia, and how she was preparing for her aunt's 90th birthday party. I really liked how the story included both English, and Spanish words within the text. That way, the ELL students can match Spanish words with English words.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice, sweet book. Good for k-3. Also demonstrates strong family bonds.

[Emelda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for young readers and kids, all the kid groups asked to be read this at least one more time. Simple story, multicultural, easy for any kid to relate to.

[Tiffany Clarke]

Reading Level
Grade level Equivalent: 2.9


Theme/Subject
Extended Families
Mexican and Mexican American
Birthdays

[Siomara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cecilia is cooking a Birthday cake for her aunt.

[Danielle Wrasman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was really cute how the girl wanted to put everything in her great aunt's birthday basket that was meaningful and represented a memory that the girl and her aunt had together.

[Hyunhee Bae · Rating 5 out of 5]

A girl’s story about collecting her grandaunt’s memorable birthday presents. Each gift has a story about her and her grandmother spending time together.