TOMAS AND THE LIBRARY LADY by Pat Mora

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Mora, Pat. 1997. TOMAS AND THE LIBRARY LADY. Ill. by Raul Colon. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 06790401

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Tomas misses his own bed. Tomas’ parents are migrant farm workers traveling from Texas to pick corn in the fields of Iowa. Tomas plays ball with his brother Enrique and listens to his grandfather tell stories. Tomas discovers the world in books with his grandfather tells him he is big enough to go by himself to the public library. He makes friends with librarian and shares books with his family at night.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Pat Mora immediately pitches the reader into the life of a migrant worker. Traveling at night in a tired old car, being hot and tired, and missing his bed in Texas grab the readers’ attention and have them turning pages. Mora keeps the reader emotionally connected throughout the story with images of Tomas wanting only a drink of water, playing with a ball made from an old teddy bear, carrying water to his parents in the fields, and his intimidation from the library building. These images build a strong character that has learned to adjust to his parents’ life. Playing ball with his brother, listening to his grandfather’s stories, and reading to his family at night also contribute to Tomas’ strong character. Tomas’ friendship with the librarian allows him to see the world that exists outside his small reality.

Raul Colón illustrates this book with simple, smooth drawing that further draw the reader into Tomas’ life. The illustrations capture the emotions of the all the characters in the story. The smooth drawings show Tomas’ imagination while reading the library books. A very poignant picture is the one of Tomas outside looking in, appearing apprehensive about entering the building.

Many cultural markers appear throughout this book. Included in the text are Spanish words and phrases. Tomas addresses his mother, father, and grandfather as Mama, Papa, and Papa Grande. En un tiempo pasado, buenas noches, libro, and pajaro are some of the Spanish words included in the story. At the beginning of the story the grandfather is the storyteller, at the end of the story Papa Grande passes that title to Tomas. Another cultural marker is the inclusion of Tomas’ grandfather in the immediate family and the way the family gathers around in the evening to listen to Tomas read. Tomas’ mama makes pan dulce to give the librarian as a parting gift when the family leaves to return to Texas.

D.REVIEW EXCERPTS
Horn Book (March, 1998)
In a story inspired by the life of Tomás Rivera, a migrant worker who became a nationally known educator, young Tomás and his family, migrant farm workers, leave Texas for work in Iowa, where Tomás discovers the wonder of books at the local library. Colón's scratchboard illustrations convey the magic of reading and of telling stories, but give little sense of the time period or poverty of Tomás's life.

Kirkus Review (1997)
A charming, true story about the encounter between the boy who would become chancellor at the University of California at Riverside and a librarian in Iowa. Tomás Rivera, child of migrant laborers, picks crops in Iowa in the summer and Texas in the winter, traveling from place to place in a worn old car. When he is not helping in the fields, Tomás likes to hear Papa Grande's stories, which he knows by heart. Papa Grande sends him to the library downtown for new stories, but Tomás finds the building intimidating. The librarian welcomes him, inviting him in for a cool drink of water and a book. Tomás reads until the library closes, and leaves with books checked out on the librarian's own card. For the rest of the summer, he shares books and stories with his family, and teaches the librarian some Spanish. At the end of the season, there are big hugs and a girl exchange: sweet bread from Tomás's mother and a shiny new book from the librarian--to keep. Coldón's dreamy illustrations capture the brief friendship and its life-altering effects in soft earth tones, using round sculptured shapes that often depict the boy right in the middle of whatever story realm he's entered.


E. CONNECTIONS
Students could write about how they would feel if they had to live as migrant workers continually on the move.

Other books about children and libraries:
Morris, Carla. THE BOY WHO WAS RAISED BY LIBRARIANS. ISBN 1561453919
Smet, Marian De. ANNA’S TIGHT SQUEEZE. ISBN 1589253787
Stewart, Sarah. THE LIBRARY. ISBN 0374343888
Williams, Suzanne. LIBRARY LIL. ISBN 0803716982