A. Bibliography
Ancona, George. 1994. The Pinata Maker / El Pinatero. New York, NY: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 0152618759.
B. Plot Summary
This endearing story is about Don Ricardo, a 77 years old village pinata maker. The children of the town call him Tio Rico. The setting of the story takes place in Ejutla de Crespo, Oaxaca. It begins with a small child, Beto, taking old newspapers and used bags to Don Ricardo's home so he can begin making more pinatas. Our main character, Don Ricardo, who walk with a cane, opens the door wearing a mask that he has made and it startles Beto at first, but then he realizes it is "Tio Rico" playing a joke on him. The plot of the story progresses though pictures and text describing how Don Ricardo goes through the process of making a pinata. The first pinata he makes is a swan. The book is a a photo journal that transports the reader into the pinata making process, from making the flour and water paste to the party where the pinata is broken and the treats spill out. Throughout the story Don Ricardo also demonstrates how to make a star and carrot pinata, there are also pictures of some of the different flower and animal pinatas, and the book shows off his giant puppet creations people use for parties and celebrations.
C. Critical Analysis
George Ancona uses his pictures and text to create an authentic Latin American journey to a small town in southern Mexico. The story is presented in English and Spanish and is done in a way that is not intrusive or confusing to either reader. This book has many of the cultural markers both in the photographs and the text. Because this book is presented with photographs to tell the story along with text, the cultural markers in the pictures include Don Ricardo himself being of Mexican descent. He is a Mexican citizen that lives in a small town in rural Mexico. He wears traditional clothing, a hat, shirt, pants, and sandals while he is at his home creating his pinatas. His house is a brick house, built by Don Ricardo himself "brick by brick," with an tile roof that is a common sight across the landscapes in Mexico. The general environment of the town is portrayed in the pictures as a small close knit community with a strong sense of family. Another cultural marker are the pictures of the tools Don Ricardo uses for his pinata creations. The tools are traditional and very rural. They include a small black pot to make and cook the paste, a stick to stir the paste, old irons and bricks to hold the molds in shape, dry banana leaves, old newspapers and used concrete paper bags, a hammer, scissors, twine, crepe paper, pinking shears, and pots that Don Ricard purchases from town.
The pictures illustrate the entire pinata making process done by Don Ricardo's hands. As they start the process of the swan the text explains how he begins,"He begins by by rolling dry banana leaves into a thick rod with a bulge at one end for the head." Throughout the book pictures show Don Ricardo's hands designing his craft. His hands truly tell the story. His hands are worn and cracked from the work he has done all his life, but they are also agile and creative. Before he was a pinata maker he followed in his father's footsteps and was a hat maker. His hands are hands that have lived many lives and that can tell a thousand stories.
Ancona also uses a number of cultural markers in the text that contribute to the authenticity of the story. The Mexican culture is prevalent throughout the story's text and pictures. The dialect of the text is done in English and Spanish on the each page. The names of the characters also add to the authenticity of the story along with the use of kinship terms in Spanish. The characters names include: Don Ricardo, Dona Carmen, Beto, and Daniela. The Spanish kinship term used throughout the story is Tio Rico, the name of endearment the children call Don Ricardo.
Celebrations are another cultural marker mentioned in the story. Since Don Ricardo is the village pinata maker he makes his pinatas for many different celebrations: birthdays, fiestas, and processions. The Pinata Maker / El Pinatero is a wonderful real life story of a man that brings joy to many in his town with his creative and custom made pinatas. On closing page when he and his wife are leaving these words puts in perspective Don Ricardo's feelings about the joy he brings to his town,"As Tio Rico takes his leave, he turns to look at the remnant of his beautiful pinata, and he smiles, knowing that it is proof of a very happy birthday fiesta."
D. Review Excerpts
School Library Journal: "Ancona has once again created a photo essay that brings his subject into lively and vibrant focus. A day in the life of Don Ricardo Nunez Gijon, or Tio Rico, a pinata maker, is a busy round of artistry blended with practicality. The step-by-step creation of a swan, a star, and a carrot is described. The balance between text and illustration is masterful, and both English and Spanish narratives have an easy flow."
Booklist: "On each page, the text appears in English, then in Spanish. Clearly written in both languages, the dual English/Spanish text provides a good bridge for children learning either as a second language, and also makes the book accessible to those who know one or the other. Not just a how-to manual, the book has a narrative strand, following Tio Rico as he buys materials for his crafts, makes them, sells them, and finally, attends a party where children break open a pinata."
E. Connections
To read more about about the Hispanic culture and other books containing English and Spanish text please check out the following titles:
Herrera, Juan Felipe. Calling the Doves / El canto de las palomas. ISBN 0892391669.
Herrera, Juan Felipe. The Upside Down Boy / El nino do cabeza. ISBN 089239177.
Johnston, Tony. My Mexico / Mexico mio. ISBN 0698117573.
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