One day Tom�s brings the library lady a small loaf of pan dulce, a gift from his mother, along with the sad news that he has to say adios and return to Texas. The library lady sends him off with a hug and a shiny new book of his very own.
The book�s epilog tells that the real Tom�s Rivera always valued education, and became a writer, professor, educator, and university administrator. The library at the University of California at Riverside is named for �the boy who was encouraged to read by a librarian in Iowa.�
The story is told in English with a generous sprinkling of Spanish words. The sentences have a pleasant rhythm � sometimes short and sometimes long � which makes the book especially nice for reading aloud. The author avoids stereotyping characters and depicts a family with universal problems, values, and dreams. The �Library Lady� shows her respect for Tom�s by providing for his physical comfort as well as stimulating his mind. Tom�s especially enjoys it when the librarian asks him to teach her some new words in Spanish. �Tom�s would smile. He liked being the teacher.�
Raul Col�n illustrates the story in gold-toned hues that give warmth to the story and allude to Tom�s� Southwestern heritage. The scratchboard medium lends an impressionistic feel to the images, appropriately invoking the fond memories an adult might have of a childhood experience. When the reader sees Tom�s riding dinosaurs and playing the role of sheriff, it reinforces the idea that he was completely transported to another time and place, and found himself in the stories. Booklist (August 1, 1997) says that �Col�n's beautiful scratchboard illustrations, in his textured, glowingly colored, rhythmic style, capture the warmth and the dreams that the boy finds in the world of books.�
A critic for Hornbook (March 1, 1998) felt that the illustrations �give little sense of the time period or poverty of Tom�s's life.� But, that is a story for another book. This story depicts the happy memories and loving family relationships within a distinctly American subculture � Spanish-speaking migrant workers who live and work wherever there are crops to be harvested. Children who share Tom�s background will find a special satisfaction in the story. All children, regardless of their culture, will be able to identify special adults who have played a meaningful role in their own lives. In Southwestern states, with their increasingly pluralistic society, this book could find a niche in every children�s library.
Nominations for Tomas and the Library Lady
Bluebonnet Award
Golden Sower Award
Americas Award for Children's and YA Literature
Beehive Children's Picture Book Award
Related Websites
Art of Ra�l Col�n: http://morgangaynin.com/colon/
Ra�l Col�n Website: http://www.raulcolon.com/
Pat Mora�s Website: http://www.patmora.com/
Source
Books in Print [database online]. Available from http://www.booksinprint.com. Accessed 20 September 2004.
School of Library and Information Studies
TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY