''Tomás and the Library Lady'' is a

children's A child () is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking countries, the legal definition of ''child ...

picture book A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. With the narrative told primarily through text, they are distinct from comics, which do so primarily through sequential images. The ima ...

written by

Mexican-American Mexican Americans are Americans of full or partial Mexican descent. In 2022, Mexican Americans comprised 11.2% of the US population and 58.9% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexican Americans were born in the United State ...

writer Pat Mora and illustrated by Raúl Colón; it was published in 1997. Based on a true story, it details the circumstances behind

Tomás Rivera Tomás Rivera (December 22, 1935 – May 16, 1984) was a Mexican American author, poet, and educator. He was born in Texas to migrant farm workers, and worked in the fields as a young boy. However, he achieved social mobility through education� ...

, the son of a migrant farm worker during the 1940s in the Midwest United States. Feeling a little out of place since his family's move to Iowa from Texas and wanting to know more than just his grandfather's stories, Tomás stumbles into a library and is welcomed by the librarian. Through her patience and understanding, Tomás develops a love for books and learning that he always wanted to have. The warmth and graciousness of the librarian was a catalyst to Tomás' lifelong love of learning which culminated in his becoming a chancellor at a university. Wonderfully illustrated and culturally accurate, ''Tomás and the Library Lady'' is a great book for a beginning reader and tells of a great story of understanding, patience and perseverance. The story was later adapted into a musical. Holden Arts website, ''Tomás and the Library Lady''
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tomas and the Library Lady 1997 children's books American picture books Children's books set in the 1940s Children's books set in Iowa