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MaryM
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Here is a book I just recommended in the Our Lady of Guadalupe thread (since they have an OLOG feast day celebration in the book), but wanted to post it here for others not reading that thread. The book is,A Santo for Paqualita, by Ann Nolan Clark (illustrated by Mary Villarejo, Viking Press, 1959) - which is unfortunately OOP. For those who are not familiar with this author, she wrote primarily about the southwest and the cultures of that region. They very frequently have a lot of faith topics underlying the stories as the culture of the southwest is very religious.
Basic summary: A little girl, Pasqualita, lives in an orphanage run by sisters (probably the Sisters of Loretto). There is a lot of interaction with the children and the sisters as they prepare of the arrival of some visitors. Pasqualita is adopted by this visiting elderly couple who become her grandparents. Pasqualita is happy and sad at this change - the story is about her transition to becoming part of the new family. The gentleman is a Santero (carver of wooden saint's images - Santos). Pasqualita learns about the patron saints and the images the santero carves. She is sad that she doesn't have a Santo. Her new grandfather tells her everyone has a patron saint - " ...a special friend to guard us and to guide us through our days and nights." He wants to make her an image but no one in the village has a likeness or image to view of her saint (Pasqual). They send word throughout the region hoping that someone will help them find his likeness.
Pasqualita asks the Holy Family to help her earn a place in her new family and Nino de Atocha to help her learn to cook (her new job in the family). During the many feast days throughout the year different people offer to share their santos with Pasqualita. Then on the feast of OL of Guadalupe, a traveling troubadour brings with him a picture of St. Pasqual so that her grandfather can carve her Santo. He explains that in Mexico, he is known and loved there and honored as the Kitchen Saint who never lets a traveler go hungry from his door. Pasqualita realizes that she didn't need to have a Santo carving in order to have the blessing of her saint - St. Pasqual had been looking out for her all along as she learned the new skill of cooking for her family.
It is such a touching story. Beautiful black and white lithograph illustrations. It is just so full of faith and saints as a part of everyday life. This is an in-between book - more than a picture book, but a pretty short chapter book.
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Mary M. in Denver
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Rachel May
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Mary,
Thanks for the recommendation! I was at the bookstore the other day, and although they did not have ANY Tomie de Paola Christmas books, they did have this new one, Pasqual and the Kitchen Angels.
This summer as we were traveling, I bought a tile of St. Pasqual similar to this St. Pasqual ceramic tile at this store in Alburquerque (mine must have been from a previous series). I picked him because I liked his story, and he was new to me. There are nice OLofG tiles there too.
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Rachel
Thomas and Anthony (10), Maria (8), Charles (6), Cecilia (5), James (3), and Joseph (1)
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Mary G
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Mary M.
Bummer -- my library doesn't have this one or the Santeros one you recommended earlier  -- I guess we're too far Southeast for a Southwest based story 
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MaryG
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cathhomeschool
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Our library has it, and I just put it on hold. Can't wait to get it. Mary G -- maybe you could get it through interlibrary loan?
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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MaryM
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Mary G. wrote:
| my library doesn't have this one or the Santeros one you recommended earlier -- I guess we're too far Southeast for a Southwest based story |
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- oh, I feel for you. I know that disappointment. When I posted those recommendations, that is a thought I had particularly about the Pasqualita book. It is more likely to be carried in more libraries out here because of the geographic proximity.
Denver library patrons can access a large library system called Worldcat for getting interlibrary loans. I checked just to see and it doesn't look like that those books are in any Worldcat libraries in South Carolina at all (...not that all libraries are a part of this system - they aren't), but there are South Carolina libraries that are part of Worldcat and can access loans of books from the 100s of participating libraries. I don't think you can enter and search their system unless you are a patron of a library that subscribes (check to see if yours does), but they do have a feature on their website that works through Google and Yahoo searches to access libraries that have books by state. It is pretty cool for looking for desired books in general. Check out the Worldcat search through Google or Yahoo.
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Mary M. in Denver
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Mary G
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Mary M.
Thanks for that link to WorldCat -- you're right it is pretty cool!
Blessings!
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MaryG
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momwise
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MaryM wrote:
| It is more likely to be carried in more libraries out here because of the geographic proximity. |
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You're right. My county library has it, although my city library doesn't. They're both the same distance so I search both regularly. The county library has Prospector(libraries of CO) and I can only think of a couple of items that I haven't found there in several years of searching. I believe I was able to get everything I needed outside of CO from interlibrary loan or Worldcat. It is truly amazing.
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Sarah
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I just bought this from a used dealer on Amazon for $5.50. There were more listed.
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JennGM
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I finally bought this book. This is just absolutely beautiful! I just teared up at the beauty. Pasqualita is portrayed with such a simple and loving but beautiful prayer life.
Thanks for the recommendation, Mary.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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MaryM
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JennGM wrote:
| I finally bought this book. This is just absolutely beautiful! I just teared up at the beauty. Pasqualita is portrayed with such a simple and loving but beautiful prayer life. |
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 it!
That makes me happy that you got it and enjoyed it that much. Really is one of the oop gems for Catholic families. 
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Mary M. in Denver
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Mimip
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Mary,
My only concern is the Santero reference. Here in South Florida surrounded by the Caribbean Islands we deal with the Santeria sect all the time. If you haven't hear of it, it is a sect combining saints from the Catholic Faith along with Voodoo and bloody sacrifice. (Whatever you do, DO NOT google it, there are some very graphic images.)
People that practice this religion are called Santeros and dress in all white for their "initiation" period.
The thing that worries me is they worship, literally worship, statues like the carvings you are talking about. They offer money and animal sacrifices to the statues and carvings.
Augh, these are the times where I wish it was in the library so I could review it firsthand 
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In Christ,
Mimi
Wife of 16 years to Tom, Mom of DD'00, DD'02, '04(in heaven) DS'05, DS'08 and DS '12
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MaryM
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Mimip wrote:
Mary,
My only concern is the Santero reference. Here in South Florida surrounded by the Caribbean Islands we deal with the Santeria sect all the time. If you haven't hear of it, it is a sect combining saints from the Catholic Faith along with Voodoo and bloody sacrifice. (Whatever you do, DO NOT google it, there are some very graphic images.)
People that practice this religion are called Santeros and dress in all white for their "initiation" period.
The thing that worries me is they worship, literally worship, statues like the carvings you are talking about. They offer money and animal sacrifices to the statues and carvings.
Augh, these are the times where I wish it was in the library so I could review it firsthand |
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The santeros of the southwest have absolutely nothing to do with the Santeria religion you are referring to (which I had heard of). The santeros here as we know them in the southwest are artisans who create santos and other Spanish-style religious art, bultos, retablos. There are secular artists now but true santeros (and especially historically) are devout Catholics. The art started because the early Spanish colonial Catholics were poor and had very limited materials to work with to make statues and altar pieces, so they used the only natural resource readily available - wood for the rustic carvings. Their particular style is is a unique art form to the US.
I can see how you would want to very cautious as that term has a very different meaning and frame of reference for your family and you may not want to introduce the term which could be confused by them in your area. It is a shame the terms overlap - but they do come from the same roots - santero means "saint maker" and it is the one who carves the images. But I assure you the book in no way could be linked to the Santeria practices or terms. Clark's book is so wholly Catholic and sweet.
More info for anyone not familiar with the terms or art form:
Quote:
In New Mexico, images of saints (santos) were known as bultos (sculptures) and retablos (paintings on wood). Local woods–aspen and cottonwood root for bultos and pine for retablos–were used; water-based paints were made from local and imported vegetal and mineral pigments.Religious images were brought to New Mexico by the first settlers in 1598 and were imported throughout the seventeenth century.
Period documents describe the presence of sculptures, paintings on canvas and copper, engravings, gilded tabernacles, and gilded altar screens from Mexico. During the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, most Christian imagery was destroyed.
In the late 1700s increasing numbers of religious images made in New Mexico took their place alongside imported pieces in churches and homes. Grounded in the Spanish Catholic tradition and evolving art styles of Europe, a unique local aesthetic peculiar to New Mexico developed on the northern frontier of New Spain. At least a dozen santeros, or saint-makers, were active in New Mexico by the 1820s and had developed a style that is distinctly New Mexican in character.
[excerpted from an article by Donna Pierce in Spanish New Mexico, The Spanish Colonial Arts Society Collection] |
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And a sample of the art we are talking about:
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Mary M. in Denver
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Mimip
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Mary,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE CLARIFICATION!!!!
So important when dealing with the same name. I asked my husband what he thought about it and he vetoed it until the kids get older and understand the terms as well.
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In Christ,
Mimi
Wife of 16 years to Tom, Mom of DD'00, DD'02, '04(in heaven) DS'05, DS'08 and DS '12
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Topic: A Santo for Pasqualita
