By Juana Martinez-Neal
Expected publication: April 10, 2018
Why we chose this book:
In viewing Candlewick Press's Spring catalog, I saw this. The synopsis fit right in with our reading preferences, so I asked Candlewick Press for a review copy. They obliged.
Mom's Review
A girl learns and appreciates the origin of her very long name.
This is a simple, beautiful book. I'd like to focus on the illustrations first: most two-page spreads show Alma and her dad with a photo album on one side and an ancestor's "photo" on the other side. One item from the ancestor's "photograph" is noticeable in Alma's home on each page. T enjoyed finding those items, and we talked about how Alma and her dad must have had those mementos passed down in their family. The graphite and colored-pencil drawings are lovely.
The story itself is likewise beautiful. Alma doesn't like her name at first because it "doesn't fit." She literally cannot write her whole name on a piece of paper. As her father explains the background to each of her names, she finds that each applies to her, that her name indeed fits her. This was a wonderful story to encourage discussion about T's name, as well as all the different traits and histories of Alma's ancestors. T was able to identify with many of Alma's ancestors and Alma herself.
T just walked in, and I told him I'm writing our review of Alma (I recorded all of his responses to my questions earlier, and now I'm about to transcribe them), and I asked him what he thinks I should write. He said, "Teddy likes Alma very much. He wishes he could meet Alma when she's real in October." I asked him what will happen in October, and he said we would read Alma then.
Son's Review
(age 3)
While reading:
Mom: Would you like to go anywhere that Alma marked [on her map]?
Son: I'd like to go there (points to India). To Switzerland, to Franz Carl Weber. I like to travel to Cambodia.
(Franz Carl Weber is a toy store in Zürich.)
Mom: Hey, here's a picture of José. What's he doing? Do you like to paint? Do you do anything that Alma does?
Son: Painting! Yeah! Draw and paint!
Mom: What's Candela doing here? Look at all these people...
Son: Marching!
Mom: Yeah, and look, Alma set up a little march with her toys.
Son: And she made her own sign!
After reading:
Mom: What story would you like to tell? That means what do you like to do with your life?
Son: Play.
Mom: What kinds of things do you do that Alma does?
Son: Draw and paint.
Mom: What would you say to Alma if you met her?
Son: Hmmm. I would say, "Why is your name so long?"
Mom: Would you want to play with her? What would you play?
Son: Yeah. Paint and Beanie Bear.
(Beanie Bear is one of his stuffed animals)
Mom: What's the best thing about this book?
Son: I thought it was a good book. [The best part is] that it's about Alma. She does paint.
Mom: And if Alma came over, what should she know about you?
Son: That I do paint, too!
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