CLAIMING FACE CURRICULUM | EDUCATOR’S GUIDE
NANA’S BIG SURPRISE
Nana’s Big S
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Synopsis: Nana’s move from Mexico should be a joyous occasion. But this summer Nana is coming to California because Tata, beloved ur p husband and abuelo, has died. Amada and her five brothers hope to cheer her up with a surprise—a coop full of fluffy yellow chicks, just like the ones Nana raised with Tata in Mexico. But no matter how hard everyone tries to make Nana feel better, it seems like nothing can bring a smile to her face. That is, until one day the chicks reveal a surprise of their own. Behind the Story: I took almost 1000 photos for this book of my clothes, jewelry and miscellaneous items. I had to learn how to use my friend’s professional digital camera, download the pictures, use Photoshop and print them. Then I had to learn how to collage photos into a painting. This one was a big adventure! RELATED PROJECTS Initially I wanted to do collage to make it an easier process for 1.Symbol of Myself, pg. 150 me. I had already put this book on hold for three years because 2.Tell a Tale Without Words I became extremely ill. But I had a relatively miraculous pg. 174 healing. And with my fabulously expanding newfound health, what was initially intended to make things easier for “sick-me,” became a lesson in complete and total extravagance and celebration for “healthy-me.” I had been basically housebound for 3 years and so all of the textures and colors of my intimate world were loaded with richness and meaning to me. When I began working on the art for this book, I did huge photo shoots in my bedroom. It was a very intuitive process. As I photographed piece of clothing after piece of clothing, things like keys and Milagros started landing on different pieces. As the collages progressed I realized the keys were part of the children. They helped open the grandmother’s heart. In the last spread there is one last image of keys. They are no longer carried about by the children. Now they rest in the ground and are part of the pattern of the earth. I used heart Milagros to document the grandmother’s heart journey through grief. Look how the heart moves through the imagery. It is sticking out of her suitcase on page 9. By the last page, the heart is part of the cloth of her dress. Her shawl also serves as a symbol of her passage. It transforms from something heavy to hide under to wide wings to dance with and more and more flowers blooming on it. My Interpretation of the Story: I loved the sense of time and the depth of this book and that it was a true story. ALL of those chicks turning out to be roosters made me think it was the spirit of the grandfather coming through to make the grandmother laugh. That’s why at the end, she is hugAGES: 6 & UP ging a photo of the grand- Written by Amada Irma Perez, 2007; Bilingual in English & Spanish; Hardcover 32 pages father while looking out Published by Children’s Book Press, San Francisco, CA the window at a rooster. Awards: International Latino Book Awards; Best Children’s Picture Book, Bilingual, 2nd Place; Américas Award Commended Title; Tejas Star Book Award Finalist
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