Amado, Elisa

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Amado, Elisa

Personal

Born in Guatemala.

Addresses

Home—Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Career

Writer and translator.

Awards, Honors

New Horizons Prize, Bologna Children's Book Fair, 2007, for Sun Stone Days; Américas Award Commended designation, 2008, for Tricycle.

Writings

Barrilete: A Kite for the Day of the Dead, photographs by Joya Hairs, Douglas & McIntyre (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1999.

Primas, illustrated by Louis Garay, Libros Tigrillos (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2003, published as Cousins, Groundwood Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2004.

(Author of text) Ianna Andréadis, Sun Stone Days, Groundwood Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2005.

Tricycle, illustrated by Alfonso Ruano, Groundwood Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2007.

TRANSLATOR

Antonio Skármeta, The Composition, illustrated by Alfonso Ruano, Groundwood Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2000.

María Elena Maggi, The Great Canoe, illustrated by Gloria Calderón, Douglas & McIntyre (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) 2001.

(With Veronica Uribe) Buzz Buzz Buzz, illustrated by Gloria Calderón, Douglas & McIntyre (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) 2001.

Jorge Argueta, Trees Are Hanging from the Sky, illustrated by Rafael Yockteng, Groundwood Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2003.

Jorge Argueta, Zipitio, illustrated by Gloria Calderón, Groundwood Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2003.

Jorge Luján, Rooster = Gallo, illustrated by Manuel Monroy, Groundwood Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2004.

Antonio Ramírez, Napi Goes to the Mountain, illustrated by Domi, Groundwood Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2004.

Jorge Luján, Tarde de Invierno = Winter Afternoon, illustrated by Mandana Sadat, Groundwood Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2006.

Sandra Comino, Morning Glory, Groundwood Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2006.

Jorge Luján, Sky Blue Accident, illustrated by Piet Grobler, Groundwood Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2007.

Jorge Argueta, Alfredito Flies Home, illustrated by Luis Garay, Groundwood Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2007.

Natalia Toledo, Light Foot = Pies Ligeros, Groundwood Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2007.

Menena Cottin and Rosana Faría, The Black Book of Colors, Groundwood Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2008.

Teresa Cárdenas, Oloyou, illustrated by Margarita Sada, Groundwood Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2008.

Mireille Levert, Tulip and Lupin Forever, Groundwood Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2009.

Sidelights

Elisa Amado is a native of Guatemala who now lives and works in eastern Canada. In addition to writing stories for the early grades based upon her own multicultural experiences, she has also served as a translator for both Spanish and Zapotec authors who craft tales for young children. In her dual roles as writer and translator, Amado has expanded the number of Central American folk tales available to an English-speaking audience.

Amado's picture book Barrilete: A Kite for the Day of the Dead introduces youngsters to the Guatemalan practice of constructing and flying huge kites as part of the celebrations for Dio del los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Her tale, illustrated with black-and-white photographs, follows a boy named Juan as he creates a kite in honor of his deceased grandfather—the person who taught Juan the fine art of kite-making. The book also describes other Day of the Dead traditions, some of which originated with the Mayan Indians. To quote Gillian Engberg in Booklist, Amado and her photographer "use one boy's excitement to personalize the area's culture and its exceptional craft." A reviewer for Resource Links deemed Barrilete a "useful addition" to children's literature "depicting life in other countries and … different cultures."

Cousins tackles the issue of multiculturalism through the eyes of a little girl. Although she lives with her Latin-American father and American grandmother, the girl is drawn to the home of her paternal grandmother, Abuela Adela, who follows the Roman Catholic traditions of her homeland. Jealousy erupts as the girl watches her cousin prepare for an elaborate first communion ceremony. Ann Welton noted in School Library Journal that the story's simplicity of narrative proves to be an "excellent discussion starter" on the issues of youngsters torn between two cultures. A Kirkus Reviews critic likewise noted that the book's "issues are sure to spark reflection and discussion."

Amado wrote the text for the elaborate Sun Stone Days, an award-winning book based on the ancient Aztec calendar. The Aztec month consisted of twenty days, each represented by a different animal or symbol. The civilization's calendrical information was recorded on a large "Sun Stone" from which archeologists have learned about the Aztec dating system. In addition to Ianna Andréadis's illustrations of each symbol, Amado provides a text in English, Spanish, and Nahuatl, the last the language of the ancient Aztec people. In Resource Links, Tanya Boudreau called Sun Stone Days "a nice presentation of a record from the past," and a Kirkus Reviews correspondent cited it for its "handsome presentation."

The great gulf between rich and poor can be a difficult topic to explain to very young children, but Amado takes on the task in Tricycle, illustrated by Alfonso Ruano. When the central character, Margarita, climbs a tree in her yard, she can see beyond the protected grounds of her affluent home. Margarita spies on two very poor children living nearby and watches as they steal her tricycle. Later when she hears her family discussing thievery, Margarita concocts a story to cover up the theft she has witnessed. In Kirkus Reviews, a critic called the book "a discussion-starter if ever there was one." Linda Berezowski in Resource Links thought that the book should be reserved for more mature children but that it provides "a provocative story that confronts complicated social issues."

In addition to writing her own books, Amado has translated numerous picture books by Latin American authors. Sometimes the English translations also include the Spanish original, as in Rooster = Gallo, and Sky Blue Accident = Accidente Celeste, both by Jorge Luján. These bilingual books are "easily read in both languages," to quote Denise Parrott in Resource Links, making them useful for older students learning Spanish as well as youngsters who are just eager for a story.

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, February 1, 2000, Gillian Engberg, review of Barrilete: A Kite for the Day of the Dead, p. 1024; April 1, 2007, Hazel Rochman, review of Tricycle, p. 55; March 1, 2008, Gillian Engberg, review of Alfredito Flies Home, p. 72.

Horn Book, March-April, 2004, Joanna Rudge Long, review of Rooster = Gallo, p. 173.

Kirkus Reviews, March 1, 2004, review of Rooster = Gallo, p. 226; March 15, 2004, review of Cousins, p. 265; March 1, 2007, review of Sun Stone Days, p. 215; March 1, 2007, review of Sky Blue Accident = Accidente Celeste, p. 227; May 1, 2007, review of Tricycle. Resource Links, February, 2000, review of Barrilete, p. 13; October, 2004, Carroll Chapman, review of Cousins, p. 1; October, 2004, Denise Parrott, review of Rooster = Gallo, p. 6; October, 2007, Linda Berezowski, review of Tricycle, p. 2; October, 2007, Tanya Boudreau, review of Sun Stone Days, p. 1.

School Library Journal, May, 2004, Ann Welton, review of Cousins, p. 100; September, 2004, Ann Welton, review of Rooster = Gallo, p. 197; June, 2007, Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, review of Tricycle, p. 92; July, 2007, Mary Elam, review of Sky Blue Accident = Accidente Celeste, p. 80.