Review: CANTO FAMILIAR by Gary Soto

Soto. Gary. 1995. Canto Familiar. Ill. by Annika Nelson. San Diego: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 0152000674.

PLOT SUMMARY:
In this collection of free-verse poems, Gary Soto describes everyday situations from Mexican-American (or sometimes just plain American) life. Brightly colored woodblock print illustrations by Annika Nelson accompany several poems throughout the book.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
In Canto Familiar, Soto light-heartedly captures the simple emotions and sensations of daily life. The tone is immediately set in the first poem, “Papi’s Menudo.” Although my own father’s menudo-eating was usually limited to restaurants, rather than our home, I was filled with a sense of nostalgia by phrases like: “He sprinkles his menudo with onion and rubs oregano between his lucky palms.”

While many of the poems focus on themes of Mexican-American life, some describe situations that nearly any child could relate to. In “Winter Cold,” a girl toughs out chilly weather, puddles, and a cold so that she can join the other girls in class in beating the boys in a geography competition. Kids (and adults) can empathize with the girl’s steely determination to win.

Although Soto uses Spanish language sporadically throughout the book, he does not provide translations, even in the form of a glossary. Most of the words would be easy for non-Spanish speakers to understand (ex. bebé), but some may provide more of a challenge (“Las estrellas danzan en mis paredes”).

Nelson’s illustrations are scattered throughout the book. Although the bright images do help to break up the text, they don’t add much expression to the poems. I’ll admit, however, that this opinion is probably influenced by my dislike of block printing. Also, the color illustrations found in the hardback edition of the book is preferable to the black and white illustrations of the newer paperback edition.

REVIEWS:
School Library Journal: “Who could imagine that such joyous rhythm could be found in the familiar moments of life, such as washing dishes or spotting a teacher in the market? In this companion volume to Neighborhood Odes (Harcourt, 1992), Soto not only imagines the musical beat, but also captures the energy and transposes it into poetic songs.”

CONNECTIONS:
Kids who enjoy Canto Familiar should also try the companion book by Gary Soto, Neighborhood Odes.