Product Description

To celebrate the birthday of her beloved great aunt (or ti+a7a), young Cecilia gathers together a basket full of cherished memories. By the author of Pablo's Tree. Reprint. SLJ. "

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #583036 in Books
• Published on: 1997-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780689813283
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
Little Cecilia and her cat Chica plan for a surprise party to celebrate her great-aunt's 90th birthday. While Mama cooks beans and cuts up mangoes and watermelon, Cecilia and Chica put together a birthday basket containing a favorite book, a mixing bowl, a flowerpot, and other objects that represent activities the little girl and her great-aunt like to share. After final preparations, including flowers and a piñata, the musicians arrive; finally Cecilia and her great-aunt dance together. Drawing on the author's experiences in the Mexican American community of El Paso, Texas, this fine story is illustrated by Cecily Lang in a series of simple but striking scenes. A touching story about a very special relationship. (Ages 3 to 8) --Richard Farr

From Publishers Weekly
The young narrator of this poignant picture book discovers that the best gifts are not always store-bought. Cecilia is stumped when it comes to getting a present for her great aunt's 90th birthday. She finally settles on filling a basket with reminders of all the good times Tia and she have shared. A mixing bowl recalls days spent baking cookies; a teacup holds memories of the special brew Tia prepares when Cecilia is sick. The thoughtful present is a hit when Tia unveils it at her surprise party. Mora's text flows smoothly from one event to the next, and clearly presents the careful planning behind Cecilia's gift-gathering mission. Repetition of the items inside the basket and the occasional use of Spanish words are helpful reinforcements for young readers. Two cavils: Mora's text tends to go on a bit too long, and the many asides Cecilia addresses to her cat Chica become somewhat intrusive as the story progresses. Lang's cut-paper illustrations provide a vivid picture of a diverse and dynamic Mexican American family. Warm brown skin tones contrast nicely with bold reds, blues and oranges to lend additional Latin flavor. Ages 2-6.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-- Cecilia is excited by the approach of her great-aunt Tia's 90th birthday. The elderly woman has always been a special friend to both the bright-eyed heroine and her cat, Chica. For a gift, Cecilia hits on the idea of a basket filled with all the things that symbolize togetherness with Tia: a bowl for baking cookies, a cup for having tea, flowers for their times outside. Her delight in filling the basket is matched by Tia's as she enjoys the tributes. Vibrant, detailed cut-paper illustrations portray family warmth and individuality with verve and panache. This book, like Polacco's Thunder Cake (Scholastic, 1989), shows the close relationship between a child and an older relative (in this case, a family of Mexican-Americans). Young readers will be engaged by the cumulative nature of the story while savoring this family's similarities to and differences from their own. --Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

A Special Basket of a Book for Little Ones
In the late Fall of 1992, I read A BIRTHDAY BASKET FOR TIA (Macmillan) by Pat Mora. (I received it as a gift from a special friend and mentor.) I had never read a children's book written by a Mexican American author, so I read it with anticipation.

At the same time, I questioned my reading experience, because I had never read a picture book with cutlural relevance and by a person who identified with my ethnic group. Why hadn't anyone offered such children's books to me when I was a young boy coming of age in Magnolia Park, the East side barrio of Houston, Texas? Nevertheless, I hugged the book and read it again and again in the company of other young(er) Latinas and Latinos in Houston and San Antonio public schools. Who would have thought?

Since then, I have shared the book in English and Spanish, too, with readers of all ages and colors and educators at all instructional levels. So many readers--of all ages and colors--have met the young girl named Cecilia, her loving aunt, and the silly cat named Chica. An advocate for children, family literacy, and multilingualism, Pat Mora's picture books continue to share the written word and celebrate the narratives of many Latinas and Latinos living in the United States. Muchisimas gracias, Pat Mora.

Unique, understated hispanic birthday celebration
In A Birthday Basket for Tia, Cecelia, a little girl of about 5-7 anos (years) of age decides to put together a birthday gift basket for her aunt who is turning 90. She gathers all of her aunts favorite things including a teacup, red ball, mixing bowl, book, flower pot, and flowers. Her aunt arrives to her surprise party and enjoys removing each gift from the basket. Then she dances with her neice without the aid of her cane. All throughout the book Cecelia's silly cat Chico plays by getting into the basket, sitting on the book, and putting her face into the flowers. This book is so understated in it's simplicity, the message of love and family comes through undiluted.

Girls ages 5-7 should enjoy this book. It's 2nd grade reading level, but short enough that it could be read to a younger child in under 15 minutes. Some words are in Spanish such as anos, noventa, bizcochos, and hierbabuena, but the meanings are easily decipherable by non-Spanish speaking readers.