Love to Mamá

Review
By School Library Journal

In a beautiful tribute to mothers, grandmothers and care-giving women, 13 poets write with joy, humor, and love about the maternal bond. Representing a wide spectrum of Latino voices, the poets range from award-winning authors (Francisco X. Alarcón, Mora) to a 15-year-old newcomer (Cristina Muáiz Mutchler). Without exception, the poems are in their differing forms and voices of superb literary quality, making effective use of rhythm and meter. While cultural heritage provides a fundamental context, the universality of emotions expressed makes this a book with broad applicability and appeal. Barragán’s bright, bold illustrations… express the varying moods of the poems – from vitality and joie de vivre to sadness and pathos – with precision, force, and grace. Wonderful for reading aloud or for enjoying quietly alone. This is that rare book that will resonate across age ranges and cultures to appeal to the common human experience. A tour de force.