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Children's Literature
Mother's Day is coming and Antonio has two special women in his life. One is his mother. The other is her partner, Leslie. Antonio is excited to make a card for both of them. Since he loves to use special words to express himself, he writes f-a-m-i-l-y/f-a-m-i-l-i-a and draws a picture of all three of them together sitting under a tree. After school one day Leslie comes to meet Antonio. Antonio overhears his peers making fun of the way she looks. As a result, he becomes torn between two worlds. Suddenly he is reticent about Leslie coming to the school for their Mother's Day card display. Antonio thinks hard about what to do. In the end Leslie shows Antonio a mother's day gift she has made his mother. It is a painting of the three of them sitting under a tree together. Antonio feels so lucky to have his unique family that he invites Leslie to his school display. This wonderfully-crafted story depicts a familiar dilemma for many children as life at home and life at school are often at odds. The author writes a story that invites tolerance and appreciation for differences while celebrating what is also common to everyone, the need for love, family, and acceptance. The illustrations are pleasant and expressive. The text is in both Spanish and English. 2004, Children's Book Press, Ages 8 up.—Michelle Negron Bueno
Overview
Antonio loves words because words have the power to express feelings such as love, pride, or hurt. Mother's Day is coming soon, and Antonio searches for the words to express his affection for his mother and her partner Leslie, an artist who wears paint-splattered overalls and towers over everyone else. As Mother's Day approaches, Antonio must choose whether-and how-to express his connection to both of the special women in his life.