*Disclaimer: I received the book for free in exchange for an honest review.*
Synopsis
“What’s in a name? For one little girl, her very long name tells the vibrant story of where she came from — and who she may one day be.
If you ask her, Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela has way too many names: six! How did such a small person wind up with such a large name? Alma turns to Daddy for an answer and learns of Sofia, the grandmother who loved books and flowers; Esperanza, the great-grandmother who longed to travel; José, the grandfather who was an artist; and other namesakes, too. As she hears the story of her name, Alma starts to think it might be a perfect fit after all — and realizes that she will one day have her own story to tell. In her author-illustrator debut, Juana Martinez-Neal opens a treasure box of discovery for children who may be curious about their own origin stories or names.”
Worth the purchase?
Yes this book is worth the purchase! I love books that invite the reader to do some type of action and spark a discussion. The question my kids had after reading this book was “Where did my name come from?” I appreciate the conversation this book started. I even ended up calling my grandfather to find out where his name came from. My grandad has been upset for YEARS that none of the young people in the family named their kids after anyone else in the family. I’ve always been firmly behind giving a kid their own identity but I love how Alma has her own unique name. Her middle names carry on tradition. If you notice, Alma was looking through photo albums. I only mention this because I wish we would get back to flipping through pages of a photo album and not telling our loved ones to scroll through phone pictures. Printing out all my pictures from my phone and computer is a long, extensive project that I’m starting in the near future!
Feedback from the kids
The kids really love the pictures. They have never seen such a long name so I think they were curious to know how Alma ended up with so many names. Alma asked all the right questions. My kids remembered them and asked me all their questions after the story. It was really fun to do some investigation to find out more behind the meaning of names and even learn some fun facts. The book does a wonderful job keeping the reader, and the listener engaged.
Book Details
Author: Juana Martinez – Neal
Genre: Picture Book
Book type: Fiction
Publisher: Candlewick
Publication date: April 10, 2018
Publisher’s recommended age(s): 4 – 8