Current Nap-time Reading | Roses for Isabella
SteinerBooks
I’ve got to admit,I was skeptical about this children’s book. As much as I’d like to support a cultural book,especially a children’s cultural book,I was doubtful this one would pass the test. Why? The fair trade message on environmental,economic,and global justices is a strong one. I was not sure that it would keep a child’s interest,much less engaged in the reading.
Roses for Isabella is a cultural children’s book that tells the story of an indigenous girl in Ecuador writing a story in honor of Pachamama,Mother Earth. A young writer,coming from a family of agricultural workers,Isabella is excited to write about her parents’ experiences in their work at the rose farms in a country where the “sun shines almost every day,all year long.” Isabella wants to write the best story and be chosen to present it in the school assembly. She describes the New Rose Farm and the Old Rose Farm contrasting the two and highlighting a message on the differences in the ecological footprint each is leaving on Pachamama,as well as the treatment the farms’ workers,her parents,receive at each. Isabella also expresses her sadness during a stressful period when her parents are out of work and it seems as though there is nothing she can do to help. However,she later discovers that her writing does,indeed,help in honoring not only Pachamama,but also her family and the New Rose Farm.
Needless to say,this cultural children’s book proved me wrong. It has been,and continues to be,the nap time reading at Dulce’s home. The fair trade message is not as strong as a parent might first perceive. In fact the two resounding ideas expressed by the kids are,a child’s feeling of sadness when (s)he experiences a parent in need,and the joyful celebration in honor of Mother Earth,Pachamama. Together with the vibrant,beautiful illustrations,this book gets a surprising,strong approval from those readers that matter,the children.
Roses for Isabella
Written by Diana Cohn,
Illustrated by Amy Córdova,
Afterword by Lynn Lohr
Pub:SteinerBooks
Pub Date:June 2011
ISBN:9780880107310 | Dulce Special Order
$17.95 | Hardcover
About the book
Roses for Isabella invites us to experience life in Ecuador through the eyes of a young girl who keeps a journal and loves to write. We learn about Isabella’s parents who work on one of the hundreds of farms growing beautiful roses that are sold all over the world. But not all of these farms are fair to workers and kind to the earth. Through Isabella,we learn how her family’s life changes for the better when her parents find work at a Fair Trade farm.
Written by award-winning author,Diana Cohn and brilliantly illustrated by award-winning artist Amy Córdova,Roses for Isabella will touch the hearts of children and parents,as well as introduce them to the cultural traditions of Ecuador and the importance of making choices that support Fair Trade products.
About the Author
Diana Cohn is an award-winning children’s book author. For over two decades she has worked on environmental,economic,and global justice issues as a teacher,a media activist,and a program director for foundations with social change philanthropy missions. Her books include Namaste! and Dream Carver with Amy Córdova,as well as Yes,We Can! Janitor Strike in LA;Mr. Goethe’s Garden;and The Bee Tree. She lives with her husband in Northern California.
About the Illustrator
Amy Córdova is an artist and storyteller whose art reflects soul and spirit. She has been recognized for her work as an illustrator of children’s books,receiving the Wisconsin Library Award for Namaste!,and being named honor winner of the American Library Association’s Pura Belpré Award 2009 and 2010. Amy lives in Taos,New Mexico.
About Lynn Lohr
Lynn Lohr is a Fair Trade Certified activist and a former teacher and theater artist. She spent eight years as Executive Director of the Consultative Group on Biological Diversity (CGBD),an international membership organization working to conserve and restore biological diversity. She originally moved to California to work for the Foundation for National Progress,the publisher of Mother Jones magazine,to develop support for investigative journalism. In Minnesota,Lynn produced professional theater doing all new work based on history,folklore,and social issues.
