Title: Alma and How She Got Her Name
Author: Juana Martinez-Neal
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publishing Date: April 10th, 2018
Pages: 32
What's in a name? For one little girl, her very long name tells the vibrant story of where she came from — and who she may one day be.
If you ask her, Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela has way too many names: six! How did such a small person wind up with such a large name? Alma turns to Daddy for an answer and learns of Sofia, the grandmother who loved books and flowers; Esperanza, the great-grandmother who longed to travel; José, the grandfather who was an artist; and other namesakes, too. As she hears the story of her name, Alma starts to think it might be a perfect fit after all — and realizes that she will one day have her own story to tell. In her author-illustrator debut, Juana Martinez-Neal opens a treasure box of discovery for children
Alma is curious as to why her name is so long. In this story, you follow along as Alma's father tells her the story of each of her names; the family members that she's named after, and how she relates to each member.
This story is heart-warming and near the end, I was a little misty-eyed. This story affected me more than I thought because I have had a name change in my life - I didn't relate to the name my parents gave me at birth, I wanted to write my own story. Alma's father allows Alma to do just that, while still giving her a family to be proud of. This is something I wish that I had had, and I know that children who read this story will be able to connect better to their own histories and to be proud of where they come from, no matter their culture.
The story is heartwarming, Alma is able to flashback into the history of her family, and the illustrations are adorable. The grey scale images that are interrupted with pops of color gives the sense of flipping through a black and white family photo-album, which adds to the narrative. 5 Triquetras to this one!
Really recommend this one for parents who have given their children unique names, especially if those names have ancestral/familial ties. After reading this to your children, I think it'd be a perfect segue into the story of how they got their names, or how you got your name!
Juana Martinez-Neal is the recipient of the 2019 Caldecott Honor for “Alma and How She Got Her Name” (Candlewick Press), the 2018 Pura Belpré Medal for Illustration for "La Princesa and the Pea" (written by Susan M. Elya, Putnam), and the 2020 Sibert Medal for “Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story” (written by Kevin Noble Maillard, Roaring Brook Press).
Juana was named to the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Honor list in 2014, and was awarded the SCBWI Portfolio Showcase Grand Prize in 2012. She was born in Lima, the capital of Peru, and now lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, with her husband, two sons, and daughter.
This story is heart-warming and near the end, I was a little misty-eyed. This story affected me more than I thought because I have had a name change in my life - I didn't relate to the name my parents gave me at birth, I wanted to write my own story. Alma's father allows Alma to do just that, while still giving her a family to be proud of. This is something I wish that I had had, and I know that children who read this story will be able to connect better to their own histories and to be proud of where they come from, no matter their culture.
The story is heartwarming, Alma is able to flashback into the history of her family, and the illustrations are adorable. The grey scale images that are interrupted with pops of color gives the sense of flipping through a black and white family photo-album, which adds to the narrative. 5 Triquetras to this one!
Really recommend this one for parents who have given their children unique names, especially if those names have ancestral/familial ties. After reading this to your children, I think it'd be a perfect segue into the story of how they got their names, or how you got your name!
About the Author
Juana Martinez-Neal is the recipient of the 2019 Caldecott Honor for “Alma and How She Got Her Name” (Candlewick Press), the 2018 Pura Belpré Medal for Illustration for "La Princesa and the Pea" (written by Susan M. Elya, Putnam), and the 2020 Sibert Medal for “Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story” (written by Kevin Noble Maillard, Roaring Brook Press).
Juana was named to the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Honor list in 2014, and was awarded the SCBWI Portfolio Showcase Grand Prize in 2012. She was born in Lima, the capital of Peru, and now lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, with her husband, two sons, and daughter.
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