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Reviewed by: Emily McFarlane, Elementary School Librarian Title: A Crown for Corina Author: Laekan Zea Kemp Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Year: 2023 Good for Grades: PK-3 Genre/Type of Book: Realistic Fiction/Picture Book
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: None Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: Beautiful cover art, increasing DEI and Hispanic voices in our library If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: How would the garden tell your story?
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Review:
It is Corina's birthday, and she is spending the morning in the garden with her Abuela. Together, they are making a flower crown, a corona, for her to wear at her birthday party tonight. Abuela tells her to select flowers that tell the story of Corina- "who you are and where you come from." Together, they run through the flowers and tell stories about their family. At the party, Corina is reminded how she is "rooted in the people she loves," and even though this crown may fade, there will always be chances to bloom and grow in the future.
This story was short and simple, but sweet and beautiful. The illustrations bloom with color and life. The flowers Corina selects tell her story- from the fluff of her bunny's tail to the trumpet her Abuelo used to play. Finally, she picks flowers that symbolize who she wishes to be: hopeful, strong enough to grow anywhere, and sweet as the butterflies' favorite. The story is a celebration of heritage, family, and hopes for the future. I appreciated that this story highlights the character's family tradition rooted in Mexican culture, without feeling the need to over-explain.
This would be a great tie-in to Hispanic Heritage Month, a springtime story (the main character mentions that her birthday is in springtime,) or a birthday/traditions unit. The activities could include researching the different types of flowers and their meanings, or having students select what flowers they would use in their Corona. Why did they pick them? What do they represent in their story? They could also write a story about how it feels to walk in the garden and touch, smell, and see the flowers- creating a figurative language link to the story. I highlighted this story during Hispanic Heritage Month and did have some students admire it, though they did not pick it up. I don't know if the cover gives enough of the story for them to try it, but I intend to use it as a read-aloud later this year.
Number of party hats:
Find resources for A Crown for Corina at Teachingbooks.net
For more information about this book, see the Publishers Website