Doña Flor

Doña Flor. Pat Mora. Illus. by Raul Colón. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. 40 pages. $15.95 (Hardcover). ISBN 0-375-82337-9. Grades PreK-3. English with some Spanish.

Long ago a little girl named Flor grew to be as tall as trees while her “mother sang to her in a voice as sweet as river music.” The beauty of her mother’s song also filled Flor with kindness and love. She carries children to school, reads stories to the neighborhood, and bakes tortillas so large they can be used for almost anything. When the town is frightened by the scary roars of a hidden puma Flor comes to their rescue. Pura Belpré Award Winner Pat Mora eloquently and lyrically evokes the majesty of nature, magnificence of human kindness, and the magic of fables with this story.  The textured illustrations of Tomás Rivera Award winner Raul Colón give the story’s setting a mythical feel that readers will fall in to. Doña Flor is the essence of a tall tale and can and should be told over and over again. Highly Recommended.