Bernier-Grand, Carmen T. (2004). Illustrated by David Diaz. Cesar: si se puede! yes, we
can! New York: Marshall Cavendish. 48 pages. ISBN 0-7614-5172-2
Award: 2006 Pura Belpre Honor Book
Grade level/s: 3rd, 4th, 5th
Credibility of author: The author acknowledged an online fact exchange with Julie C. Rodriguez from the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation Community Programs Office. The author also acknowledged using various archived interviews conducted with Cesar E. Chavez such as the one with Pacifica Radio Archive, 1986. The author also used many books on Cesar’s life, as well as, the California Curriculum Project, Hispanic Biographies, “Cesar E. Chavez’s Biography,” 1994.
Summary: This book is a biography with each chapter written in verse form. It follows Cesar Chavez throughout his life of poverty from his beginnings as a laborer in the fields to his work as a labor leader.
Standards: National Social Studies Standards (I, III, IV,V)
Illustrations: There are colorful illustrations on every page with an emphasis on the colors of yellow, green, and blue. The illustrations look like a combination of airbrush
and stencil.
Access features: Table of contents, subject index, glossary with Spanish translations, life story section, chronological timeline of Cesar’s life, sources, page with famous quotes by Cesar.
Use: I would use this book when teaching about migration and migrant workers in the United States. This book could also be used during a poetry unit to show students that a biography can be written in the form of poetry.
Response: My first reaction as I began reading was that this book was not that interesting to me. As I continued to read and I saw a life story evolving out of it, I began to really enjoy it. I don’t usually read these types of books, so it widened my view of what makes a good book.
Related texts: The Pot That Juan Built is a rhyming book about the life of Mexican potter Juan Quezada. It is illustrated by David Diaz, as well.
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2 comments:
Harvesting Hope is another picture book about Chavez and his work. It has won some awards too and is on our list of books that promote diversity for primary grade children.
Thanks for loaning me this book--I absolutely LOVED it! I loved that the different "chapters" were poems and the illustrations made the poems even more powerful to me.
I really admire people who dare to change the world!
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