Kimmel, Eric. 2006. The Lady In The Blue Cloak: Legends from the Texas Missions. Ill. by Susan Guevara. USA: Holiday House. ISBN 0823417387
Summary
The Lady in the Blue Cloak: Legends from the Texas Missions shares six stories of heartfelt deeds of the people who lived during this time in history.
"The Lady in the Blue Cloak" is a tale of Tejas Indians learning the word of God through a mysterious lady wearing a blue cloak. The Indians learn new information from Padres who are unaware of the mystery woman. The lady turns out to be a holy nun who was known to have visions of traveling to far off places, but never actually left her home.
"Rosa's Window" is a tale of love lost. Pedro is called to do God's work in the New World, but is hesitant to leave his fiance Rosa. After being persuaded by Rosa to go, Pedro heads to Texas to decorate the church with his carvings. He later learns of Rosa's death and carves a masterpiece in her honor.
"The Bell" also shares a story of love. Dona Teresa and her groom Don Angel are separated as he goes to the mission with his padre cousin. Before he left, Don Angel gives his bride a ring and cross on a chain as a symbol of their love and devotion. Unfortunately, Don Angel dies before he can share the new world with Dona Teresa. A bell is created for the mission in which Don Angel did his work. While the bronze is being poured into the mold, Dona Teresa throws the ring and chain into the mold, so she can be with her loved one forever. Others who were there did the same with their rings and crosses. Dona Teresa takes her last breath as the bell rings for the first time.
"The Miracle at the Gate" demonstrates the power of prayer during a Comanche attack. A padre on watch misses the signs of attack, not allowing enough time for the workers in the field to safely run into the mission. The gates remained open as the padres pray for protection. All the workers make it safely into the mission and the Comanches are unable to get through.
"The Christmas Vine" is a tale precious gifts. A small child wants to bring the Holy Family a gift, but is unable to produce anything he deems worthy. The padre shares with him "the most precious gifts are the ones that cannot be seen with our eyes." The boy and the padre search for a gift, finding a vine that isn't very beautiful. The vine transforms into a beautiful sight, making the boy feel very proud. Today, the vine is known as the "Margil Vine."
"The Padre's Gift" teaches the reader about kindness and how it pays off. Two stories share what happens when people find bad luck, but are kind to strangers (who happen to be padres). These tales are still passed along today, as people in San Antonio tell their children to "always be polite and kind to strangers, especially if they wear brown robes and walk with sandals on their feet."
Analysis
The characters throughout the legends are both padres and civilians who are doing their part for the new world. Kimmel retells the stories in a beautiful light, sharing the feelings of love, loss, and struggle with the reader. Each story shares the location of the mission, and what has become of them. The reader learns of missions that have been lost, and others that are now famous landmarks, such as The Alamo.
Each story brings a different theme. The stories do not always end happily, but provide messages of strong love and religious devotion. The author keeps each story culturally specific, stating names and locations of each character and mission. The stories help the reader gain insight into the development of Texas and shares the lessons that are still imparted on families in the area today.
Susan Guevara does a wonderful job with her full page, detailed oil paintings. Each story is introduced with Guevara's artwork, something that stays true to the genre and to the time in which the stories take place. The paintings grasp the important aspects of each story.
Personal Response
I found this book to be very interesting. The heartwarming stories helped me understand more about the Texas Missions, something I was uneducated about.
Reviews and Awards
"Kimmel delves into a lesser-known topic the lore of the beginnings of Spanish missions in Texas with this unusual and compelling collection. Guevera provides an opener to each legend with her elegant full-page oil paintings evocative of the symbols and themes of the era." -Publisher's Weekly
"This is a lovely book that will probably prove most useful in Texas and possibly in other areas with a history of Spanish missions." -School Library Journal
Connections
Teachers can combine their language arts lessons on legends with social studies research on the actual missions. These two books can aid in the research aspect:
Gendell, Megan. 2010. The Spanish Missions of Texas. New York: Children's Press. ISBN 0531212432
Levy, Janey. 2010. The Missions of Texas. New York: Rosen Classroom. ISBN 1615324569
No comments:
Post a Comment