The Desert is my Mother/ El Desierto es mi Madre

Title: The Desert is my Mother/ El Desierto es mi Madre
Author: Pat Mora
Genre: Multicultural Literature

This book tells the story of a young girl's love for the desert. She compares the desert to her mother with the many comforts that the desert provides her, such as the food that the cactus gives her, the comfort of the warm sands, and the songs of the wind. A unique feature of this book, is that it provides text in both English and Spanish in comparison. This book received the Skipping Stones Honor Award for being an authentic multicultural literature selection and an excellent teaching resource. After reading this book, I myself felt that I was able to learn about Spanish through comparing the English and Spanish text. I was aware of the context and English translation of the story, which made comparing the Spanish text a more decipherable task. I believe that this text not only is a beautiful story about a young Spanish girl's love for the desert, but is also a valuable resource for ELL learners and children who are learning about the Spanish language in general.