Piece by piece : Ernestine's gift for President Roosevelt Author: Ruiz-Flores, Lupe | ||
Price: $21.51 |
Summary:
During the Great Depression, Ernestine Guerrero's family didn't have much. This is the true story of a resourceful Mexican American teen who made a remarkable gift to thank President Roosevelt for the food aid that helped them survive!
Illustrator: | Lopez Real, Anna |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (07/01/23)
Booklist (09/15/23)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 09/15/2023 This picture-book biography of a young Mexican American girl who created a lavish thank-you gift for President Franklin D. Roosevelt captures the desperate times many families faced during the Great Depression. Ernestine Guerrero lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her parents and five siblings. She drops out of school at age nine to work as an assistant for her father, who is a carpenter. During the Depression, neither her father nor anyone in their community can find work, so they depend on food assistance from the government—staples distributed in wooden crates. Ernestine spends two years learning how to carve the wood from the crates to make an elaborate clock tower that she sends to FDR, along with a letter thanking him for his New Deal initiatives. Sensitive, soft-hued illustrations complement the engaging text, which outlines the arduous step-by-step tasks involved in transforming dirty, thrown-away crates into a work of art. Ernestine's tower and her letter are still on display at FDR's museum in Hyde Park, New York, a testament to this gritty, determined STEAM pioneer. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.