Bibliography
Krull, Kathleen. 2003. Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez. Ill. by Yuyi Morales. New York, NY: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN 0152014373
Plot Summary
Krull outlines the important life of Cesar Chavez, one of the most influential civil rights leaders in the world. She traces his life back to his childhood days when he was a boy who lived on a family ranch with lots of extended family to work and play with. Soon life was not as happy. A drought destroyed the family’s land and crop. Without the crops, the family was unable to pay their bills. After losing their ranch, the Chavez family was forced to work as migrant workers in California. There he saw his friends and family being mistreating by the company farm supervisors. Cesar grew older and began to realize that something had to be done to improve the working conditions for migrant workers. He began to gather supporters to agree with him that "truth was a better weapon than violence." This, in turn, led to his 340 mile march toward justice for La Causa in which they won better working conditions and higher pay for migrant workers.
Critical Analysis
Kathleen Krull has brought us a beautiful story. Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez! Krull has kept to her unique style of presenting historical figures in a child-friendly manner. Cesar Chavez is introduced to the reader first through his childhood allowing children to see him as a real person. Cesar Chavez is known for his nonviolent ways. Krull does an exquisite job of helping readers see how his mother and family instilled these values.
Yuyi Morales created beautiful illustrations in acrylic, handmade stamps and computer created cutouts on BFK Rives Paper. One illustration, shows Cesar and his family swimming in a cool, teal-blue river next to rich farm fields. The peace and happiness in this particular illustration contrasts sharply to the unhappy faces found on the migrant workers in the fields of California. Cesar, his family and the migrant workers are illustrated in a culturally authentic way with no trace of stereotypical features. The use of Spanish words sprinkled throughout the book adds authenticity and do not interfere with the story. In fact, the phrase, “La Causa” adds to the story and readers can “hear” the workers as they protest for better working conditions. Krull's story is accurate in historical details.. She has included an Author's Note that spreads across two pages near the back of the book. She has done a great job of researching and presenting the information in a format that all will enjoy. This book is necessary for any library or classroom collection.
Review Excerpts
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2003 (Vol. 71, No. 13))
Cesar Chavez, like his heroes Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi, believed in non-violent change. He fought ceaselessly for the rights of migrant farm workers to have a decent living conditions and a living wage. Krull does not offer a birth-to-death biography, instead focusing on the influences of his early years, the organization of the National Farm Workers Association, and the first contract with the grape growers. She portrays Chavez as a quiet, patient, strong-willed man who believed implicitly in his "causa" and worked tirelessly for his people. She presents additional events in his life and the circumstances of his death in an author's note. Morales uses bright acrylic colors that flow across the pages, mirroring the constant movement in Chavez's life. The overall look of the work is reminiscent of a Diego Rivera mural. Krull and Morales introduce a long-neglected figure from recent history to a new audience in an informative, eye-catching manner.
Norah Piehl (Children's Literature)
The childhood and early career of Cesar Chavez are dramatically portrayed in this picture-book biography. Chavez and his family lived comfortably in an adobe farmhouse on a large Arizona ranch, until the Depression caused them to lose their family farm and become migrant workers in California, barely earning a living by working other people's farms. Painfully harvesting beets and thinning lettuce, Chavez grew more and more angry about the injustices of farm workers' lives and dedicated himself to fighting for their cause. His first major protest was a big one--a three-hundred mile walk to protest wages and working conditions on the grape farms of central California. The success of this nonviolent action, which is the climax of this biography, launched Chavez's career. The author includes a brief afterward, explaining Chavez's subsequent efforts on behalf of farm laborers. The book's illustrations are paintings in rich hues, portraying crops and rolling hills in colors evocative of the California landscape. Although Cesar Chavez might seem an unlikely subject for a picture book, the circumstances of his life and work should appeal to young people's sense of justice.
Connections
Awards and honors:
ALA Pura Belpre Honor Book
ALA Notable Children's Book
2003 Picture Book Award, Jane Addams Peace Association
Winner of 2004 Christopher Award
Honor Book, 2003 Americas Award
Illustrator’s Website
http://www.yuyimorales.com/hh1.html
Author’s Website
http://www.colorincolorado.org/read/forkids/migrants
Pair this biography with a book of poems about Cesar Chavez: César : sí, se puede! yes, we can! By Carmen T. Bernier-Grand ; illustrated by David Diaz. ISBN: 9780761451723
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