Carmen Lomas Garza

This is a delightful view into the family of Carmen Lomas Garcia. The book shares 14 of her paintings, with a narrative in both English and Spanish explaining who is in the picture and what they are doing. We see a family at the carnival, children picking oranges, a cakewalk game at a fair. The pictures have many details that show us aspects of culture, such as dress, food, and toys. Some details reflect even more diversity, such as a woman on crutches at the fair who has one leg. Great care show more is taken to depict the diversity of this culture, and yet some of these details are also very universal and bring us together. A little girl stands on her father's shoes. A family gathers on the porch to eat watermelon on a hot night. Many of us can relate to these details, so the art celebrates both our differences and our common experiences. The stories behind each picture are wonderful. The author relates where she was in the scene, or where she was watching from. Sometimes she places herself in a scene through her imagination. This would be a good book to share with younger children as a way of talking about pictures and how to interpret what is happening in the picture. The description could be read after discussion. It would also be a good for studying Mexican-American culture or even the nature of different kinds of families. show less

I enjoyed reading In My Family by Carmen Lomas Garza because the book reflects of her own experiences as a child which I can also relate to. The book is culturally diverse being written in both English and Spanish. The book is written in first person and Garza reflects on some of her favorite memories as a child that have shaped the woman she is today. Some of the memories she mentions are memories that I too have shared with my loved ones. She mentions the barbecue and how her grandparents show more teach her to dance. I remember the first time that my Abuela taught me how to dance and standing on my Abuelo’s feet as we danced around the room. Garza talks about making empanadas in the kitchen with her family once a year and how the delicious smell takes over the room. I too have enjoyed weekends at home with my grandparents eating empanadas and drinking Colombian soda while we catch up on recent events. I loved how with each story Garza has an illustration and she points out to the readers where she is in each illustration. For example in the garden scene she points out how she is wearing the blue dress. This makes readers take the time to search for where she is in each picture. Most importantly I loved the message shared in the book be proud of where you come from and don’t be afraid to be yourself. show less

Family Pictures is an assortment of illustrations by the author that recalls various things from her childhood in Mexico and shows many customs that are tradition to both her family, as well as the entire Mexican culture as well. Garza even chooses to use her artwork to communicate culture in the mediums and execution of her work, using a technique involving paper cutting which is commonly aligned with the Latino culture.
I was able to revisit this book from my childhood and while it was show more nostalgic for me, the meaning and experience I received this time around was drastically different. Yes, there is still the sense I get that I can easily identify with the figures who are portrayed in the story. However, the customs, overarching values and significance of these things were more prominent for me. Reading a children's book about the memories and traditions of the author, I was able to make a deep connection and reflect about my own life. Having the capacity to create a reciprocal relationship with the content is something I feel makes Family Pictures widely accessible to audiences of all ages. Young people gain insight on the author and her personal background, while adults and older audiences can see how such things may or may not be similar in their own identities/ familial structures. show less

I liked this book for two reasons. First, I liked how the writing in the book really celebrates Mexican culture. Each page tells a little bit about the author's family customs while incorporating bilingual text. The author integrates Spanish vocabulary into the English text too. For example, the author wrote "He's shaving off the thorns from freshly-cut cactus pads, called nopalitas." This is a great book for ESL students. Since the book is both in English and Spanish, it can help Spanish show more speaking children out with English words having hem both on the page. It also teaches children a lot about Hispanic culture and vocabulary. It explains different parts of their culture in a way that is easy for children to understand. The big picture in the book is celebrating and learning about Latino culture. I also liked how the book pushes readers to consider different cultures and traditions. For example, the author talks about when her father had an ear ache. To heal him, the mother rolled up news paper, set it on fire and placed it in her fathers ear. All families have different traditions, customs, and habits. Its important for children to learn and open their minds to different cultural/ ethic perspectives. show less