Auntie Luce's Talking Paintings - by Francie LaTour (Hardcover)

About the Book

This debut picture book shares a story of heart, home and identity connecting a Haitian American girl to generations of family love and lore. Includes an Author's Note, a brief introduction to the history of Haiti, and a Glossary. Full color.

Book Synopsis

A Haitian American girl finds connection to generations of family lore in this story of identity, heart and home.

Every winter, a young girl flies to Haiti to visit her Auntie Luce, a painter.

The moment she steps off the plane, she feels a wall of heat, and familiar sights soon follow -- the boys selling water ice by the pink cathedral, the tap tap buses in the busy streets, the fog and steep winding road to her aunt's home in the mountains.

The girl has always loved Auntie Luce's paintings -- the houses tucked into the hillside, colorful fishing boats by the water, heroes who fought for and won the country's independence. Through Haiti's colors, the girl comes to understand this place her family calls home. And when the moment finally comes to have her own portrait painted for the first time, she begins to see herself in a new way, tracing her own history and identity through her aunt's brush.

Key Text Features
author's note
glossary
translations

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2
Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3
Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4
>Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7
Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.5
Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.

Review Quotes

[N]atural metaphors and poetic ideas will make this a good choice for sharing aloud in the classroom and creating emotional connection to a subject of study. Furthermore, the illustrator's Afro-Caribbean roots amplify the love song the Haitian American author has composed to Haiti. . . . An excellent selection for exploring deep connections to Haiti through love, family, history, and art.-- "School Library Journal"

A quiet celebration of bicultural, bi-geographic identity . . .-- "Toronto Star"

Daley brings intimacy to the spreads, filling them with splashy tones and arresting framed portraits. An illuminating author's note speaks about the Haitian revolution and the importance of remembering forgotten figures.-- "Publisher's Weekly"

Daley's . . . paintings convey some of the complexities of time and place through the images themselves. ... Young readers will enjoy how Latour and Daley celebrate Haitian history and culture through this lovely, artistic story.-- "Kirkus Reviews"

The narrative is lush and lyrical, capturing the romance of nostalgia as well as the concrete thoughts of the child. Daley's acrylic illustrations burst off the page in deeply saturated, vibrant colors that echo but do not imitate Luce Turnier's own art.-- "Booklist"

This vividly illustrated picture book is a feast for the eyes.-- "Resource Links"