The books “They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid’s Poems” and “Dreamers” have been named the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award recipients for works published in 2017-2018.
“They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid’s Poems,” written by David Bowles, was honored in the “Works for Older Readers” category. “Dreamers,” written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales, was honored in the “Works for Younger Readers” category.
The awards will be presented this fall at Texas State University with additional events to be scheduled in cooperation with the Texas Book Festival.
The award, established at Texas State University in 1995, is designed to encourage authors, illustrators and publishers to produce books that authentically reflect the lives of Mexican American children and young adults in the United States. The Rivera Award also promotes literacy by promoting high quality children’s and young adult literature, in addition to encouraging authors to write about the Mexican American experience.
ʻThey Call Me Güero: A Border Kidʼs Poemsʼ
“They Call Me Güero, A Border Kid’s Poems,” tells the story of 12-year-old Güero, a red-headed, freckled Mexican-American starting seventh grade. He’s a reader, gamer and musician who runs with a squad of misfits like himself, Los Bobbys. Trusting in his family’s traditions, his accordion and his bookworm friends, Güero faces the school year with book smarts and a big heart.
Bowles is a Mexican American from deep South Texas, currently an assistant professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He is the author of “Feathered Serpent and Dark Heart of Sky: Myths of Mexico,” as well as “The Smoking Mirror,” which received the Pura Belpré Honor. Bowles is the recipient of awards from the American Library Association, Texas Institute of Letters and Texas Associated Press. In addition to the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award, “They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid’s Poems,” has also received a Pura Belpré Author Honor Award, a Walter Honor Award and the Claudia Lewis Award for Excellence in Poetry from the Bank Street College of Education.
ʻDreamers’
“Dreamers” is a celebration of what migrantes bring with them when they leave their homes. It’s drawn from the personal story of Yuyi Morales, who left her home in Xalapa, Mexico, in 1994 and came to the U.S. with her infant son. It’s a story about family, and it’s a story to remind readers that all are dreamers, each bringing unique gifts. The lyrical text is complemented by sumptuously detailed illustrations, rich in symbolism. A parallel Spanish-language edition, Soñadores, is also available.
Professional storyteller, dancer, choreographer, puppeteer and artist, Morales has received the Tomás Rivera three times previously: in 2010 for “What Can You Do With a Paleta?” written by Carmen Tafolla and illustrated by Morales; in 2008 for”Los Gatos Black on Halloween,” written by Marisa Montes and illustrated by Morales; and in 2004 for “Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book,” written and illustrated by Morales. She has won the prestigious Pura Belpré Award for Illustration six times, and her book “Viva Frida” was named a Caldecott Honor Book. Born in Xalapa, Mexico, where she currently resides, Morales lived for many years in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Tomás Rivera Award at Texas State celebrates authors and illustrators dedicated to depicting the values and culture of Mexican Americans. Rivera, who died in 1984, graduated from Texas State with both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees before receiving a Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma. A Distinguished Alumnus of Texas State, Rivera published his landmark novel in 1971 titled ...y no se lo tragó la tierra/ ...And the Earth Did Not Part. In 1979, Rivera was appointed chancellor of the University of California-Riverside, the first Hispanic chancellor named to the University of California System.
For more information on the Rivera Award, visit the Rivera Award website.
