Love to Mamá

May 1, 2001
Happy Mother's Day A dozen poems pay homage to mothers as well as abuelitas (grandmothers) in Love to Mam : A Tribute to Mothers edited by Pat Mora, illus. by Paula S. Barrag n M. "Las abuelitas" by Virgil Su rez conjures images of life in Cuba with metaphors that link gourds, pi atas and maracas. Francisco X. Alarc n's "My Grandma Is Like a Flowering Cactus/Mi abuelita es como un nopal en flor," set off as bilingual bookends to a festive-bright illustration of grandmother and grandson, offers readers an opportunity to hear the exquisite rhymes in their original language. The artwork, computer-enhanced images of cut-paper collage with thick black outlines, plays up the verdant greens of lush oceanside settings and Cuban landscapes while also conveying the warmth between the generations.