In My Family/En mi familia

I love cultures and traditions and value sharing everyday experiences. Carmen Lomas Garza's My Family/En mi familia captures glimpses into her childhood through her art and words. As the title indicates, the full book is bilingual.

Before beginning her stories, Lomas Garza notes, "Every time I paint, it serves a purpose -- to bring about pride in our Mexican American culture. When I was growing up [...] we were punished for being who we were, and we were made to feel ashamed of our culture. [...] My art is a way of healing these wounds," (n.p.). When I first saw the book, I thought about how it was a great celebration of culture, and I am glad that she shares background of how she felt others perceived her culture while growing up, an important aspect of our country's history.

Each page contains a painting on one page accompanied by a quick memory in both languages on the other side. The experiences link to various part of life, such as: regional geography, religion, cultural beliefs, legends, and customs. Throughout it all there is a strong presence of family and community. Kids can enjoy the book as a whole or individual two-page spreads as stand-alones.

As a reading and writing workshop teacher, I can see a lot of potential for Slice of Life Story mentor texts, focusing on the idea that everybody has stories to tell. For those who have experiences with Mexican culture, they will be able to connect and consider what aligns to their (or their friends') lives. Others can enjoy learning about another culture. In addition, the paintings have a lot of details to prompt discussions.

I also love that there is a kid friendly Question and Answer at the end of the book to prompt younger readers to think about the process of writing books and to consider who the authors of their favorite books are as people.

This is Lomas Garza's second children's book. Her first, Family Pictures/Cuadros de familia is very similar in format.