Adelita

 

Adelita by Tomie De Paola 

 

 

 Adelita was written August 3, 2004

 

 

 

 

Summary

Adelita was about a young whom father died suddenly and she was left with a cruel stepmother and two step sisters. Adelita had a family nanny who was also the maid. The nanny adored Adelita and was fired by the stepmother because of their closeness. Adelita had to take on the role of the maid. There was a royal party being thrown and an invitation was sent to that house. Adelita was forbade by her step mother to attend. Her nanny took the role of a fairy god mother and provided Adelita with her mothers dress and a red reboza. The reboza was her distinguishing feature that the prince remembered and was the signal Adelita used for him to find her.

Evaluation by Genre

The genre of this book is folklore picture book. It is the classical story of Cinderella in the Spanish version. The book uses cultural phases and customs.

Evaluation of Illustrations

The illustrations are realistic. The colors are vivid, saturated, and intense. The media is a mixture of pastels and acrylics. The shapes are meaningful and significant. The shapes go along with the Spanish cultural customs and the text. The texture is smooth and the technique is signature style.

Motivational Activities

• Do a comparison paper between two folklore books. One of the traditional Cinderella story and the other for Adelita. Write an essay of which story you liked better and why.
• Create the Spanish princess in 3D.  How would she look and dress presently?

Reader Response

• What is the theme of this book?
• Is the vocabulary difficult?

Reader Comments

Adelita is a phenomenal way to incorporate the Spanish culture customs. The language also taught you a few Spanish phrases. I loved the book personally. De Paola used his creativity to take a traditional story of Cinderella and make it a classic in the Spanish culture as well. This book will grasp the readers attention and truly make it memorable and fun!

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