Amadito and Spider Woman
Book Review:
Using the all too common childhood occurrence of being teased, this
story by Lisa Bear Goldman follows a young boy's reactions to this situation
and explores the different ways of dealing with it through the advice
of his family.
One day, Amadito comes home from school upset because of the way the
other kids at school have been treating him. First, his mother gives
him comfort and then her advice. Then his older brother chimes in with
his ideas for handling the problem. Next, he tells his father what happened
and of course, the father has his own wisdom. None of their well-meaning
advice offers any degree of comfort to Amadito. Finally, Nana, his grandmother,
takes him out into the desert. Ultimately, her kind words gathered from
a lifetime of interacting with people and nature are the very words
our young Amadito needs to hear. In order to heal, we must first feel
our pain, and then release it.
This book is illustrated by Amado M. Peņa, Jr. He captures the family
and the desert landscape with a variety of colors and textures, as well
as the harshness and beauty of life in the desert. His rendition of
the desert night sky and the animals and nature found there are captivating.
Children of all ages will be familiar with the feelings associated
with this common dilemma. Older children will be able to identify the
ways in others deal with their emotions as they hear Amadito's family
give him advice. This book shows a positive way of dealing with bullies
by illustrating an uncommon, but wise, way of acting in when confronted
with this situation.
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