At the beginning of the school year my campus uses a phonics program that celebrates students' names and the unique spellings often found in them. It is always fun to discover who has certain blends and digraphs or even simply how many letters are in their names. Some students know why their parents gave them certain names while others may not yet know. Usually I read aloud Kevin Henkes' Chrysanthemum to students as we study develop an appreciation for everyone's names. Although Chrysanthemum has been an excellent read aloud to support the phonics lessons, I was elated to discover a book that more closely mirrors not only the uniqueness of my students' names, but also the amount of names my students have. Each school year I have a small handful of students with up to five names and this book would be something familiar and relatable to them. The plot, illustrations, and theme however will help determine whether this book is good or not.
Alma Sophia Esperanza José Pura Candela has a problem. She is not so fond of her name. She can barely fit it on her paper. When she asks her father about why her name is so long he joyfully tells her about each of her relatives and why she was named after them. These relatives inspire a love of reading, a desire to see the world, an appreciation for art, respect for spirituality, and courage to stand up for what is right. With a renewed sense of sense Alma sets out to write her own story.
The theme of being the author of your own story is inspiring and highly motivational. In a world where we can either be heroes, villains, or victims why not seize the opportunity to make ourselves the heroes and rejoice in who we are. This story can even encourage those readers who don't know the origin of their names to have meaningful conversations with their families.
Martinez-Neal does a lovely job of illustrating her picture book. Alma is the only character who has a pop of color in an otherwise black and white world. As her father flips through a photo album or straightens mementos of each relative the pages become filled with beautiful drawings that capture the importance of each character's name and the memory tied to that person. It's like taking a walk down a fictional memory lane.
This short story driven by plot, enticing illustrations and an empowering theme make this a good book. While this story may serve as a mirror for some, and a window for most I know all my students can benefit from adding this book to our classroom shelves. I give it a 4.5 out of 5 star rating.
Martinez-Neal, J. (2018). Alma and how she got her name. Candlewick Press.
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