The Art of Memory/El arte de recordar

Gr 3–5—Ten artists share childhood memories and lovely artwork in this treasure of a collection. A young girl receives a playhouse from her beloved grandfather, a child arrives in New York City as an immigrant and immediately wants to return home to Puerto Rico, and a young boy imagines that the train next to his house is actually made up of elephants. Each recollection is one that left a lasting impression on the artist, and most of them are events that children will easily relate to. The illustrations reflect the unique styles of the featured artists and greatly enhance the stories. The book is bilingual, and a subtly dotted line distinguishes the English from the Spanish text. Not to be missed are the opening letter from the publisher and the list of Spanish/English vocabulary at the end. Fans of Carmen Lomas Garza will appreciate this powerful example of memoir. This title would serve well as a writing mentor text and launching point for children to tell their own personal stories.