I Pledge Allegiance

February 3, 2014
Drawing from family history, Mora (The Beautiful Lady) and her daughter Martinez tell the story of a girl named Libby, whose 80-year-old Mexican-born great-aunt, Lobo, becomes a U.S. citizen. Libby proudly announces to her class that Lobo passed her citizenship test and will soon recite the Pledge of Allegiance at her swearing-in ceremony. Since Libby’s class is also learning the pledge, her teacher offers a bit of background information, noting that its author, Francis Bellamy, “hoped that girls and boys would promise to be good citizens.” Libby and Lolo practice the pledge together, and Lolo offers a poetic response to Libby’s question about why she wants to become a citizen; after she arrived in the U.S. as a child, “the American flag—red, white, and blue—wrapped itself around me to protect me.” Barton’s (The Invisible Boy) digitally painted pencil sketches have a soft, smudgy quality with a pink-and-pale-blue palette that echoes the colors of the American flag. Spanish words appear occasionally, in keeping with the melting-pot theme, and Barton’s art easily conveys Libby and Lobo’s loving rapport. Ages 3–7.

March 1, 2014
An intergenerational ode to a positive United States immigration experience. Libby is proud of her great-aunt Lobo (which means "wolf" in Spanish), who has just passed the United States citizenship test. On Thursday, Libby will lead her class in saying the Pledge of Allegiance, and on Friday, Lobo will recite the pledge to officially become a U.S. citizen. Lobo and Libby practice together, and Lobo shares her story. While Lobo's nostalgic recounting of her immigration experience pairs well with Barton's soft pencil sketches, the story of her family's immigration reads a bit candy-coated as she describes her father's desire for a "safer place" to raise his daughters and neglects to mention any hardships they may have faced. In the end, all goes well for Libby at school, and she is able attend the ceremony with Lobo and recite the pledge along with her great-aunt. Intertextual historical facts make this book a shoo-in for social-studies units on the United States, though they have been simplified for the audience. Libby's teacher tells her class that Francis Bellamy wrote the pledge in 1892, but she neglects to point out that "under God" was added during the Eisenhower administration. While it is wonderful to see a book featuring Latina characters who are proud Americans, the promotion of idealized visions of life in the United States and the immigrant experience makes it a distinctly one-sided treatment. (author's note) (Picture book. 5-9)

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April 1, 2014

GR 1-3-Libby and her Great Aunt Lobo are learning the Pledge of Allegiance at the same time-but for different reasons. Lobo is practicing it in order to become a citizen of the united states. She is proud of her Mexican heritage but is also grateful to be in America. In school, Libby has been chosen to lead her class in saying the pledge. Lobo and Libby decide to practice together at home and talk about what it means to both of them. The pencil and digitally painted illustrations have a watercolor softness that shows the deep warmth and closeness between niece and aunt. The characters are endearing, rendered primarily in shades of blue. The story will help young children become more thoughtful about this common daily recitation. Sprinkled with Spanish words, this gentle book explores what it means to be an American from the perspective of both a child and new citizen.-Diane McCabe, John Muir Elementary, Santa Monica, CA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2014
Preschool-G On Friday, Mom and I will go with . . . great-aunt Lobo to a special place . . . where she will say the Pledge of Allegiance and . . . become a citizen of the United States, exclaims Libby, the young narrator of this family story. Libby vows to practice saying the pledge with Lobo in the week leading up to the ceremony, providing an easy opportunity for the authors to integrate both lines of the pledge and discussions of its meaning into the text. Likewise, the inclusion of Spanish text not only introduces readers to potentially new vocabulary words but it also helps them understand the importance of Lobo's Mexican heritage as well as her American citizenship. Barton's warm, mixed-media illustrations echo the warmth in Lobo's words: This country is like one big family . . . that works together to take care of the people who need help. An authors' note adds more personal connections as well as a few lines of historical background about the pledge.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)