Pat Mora

In this interview with WETV's ¡Colorín Colorado!, Pat shares some of the reactions that educators have had to Doña Flor:

Doña Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart
Knopf Books for Young Readers, illustrated by Raul Colón
Available as an e-book:   For Kindle
Download a hi-res jpeg of the book jacket.
Look inside Doña Flor.

Doña Flor: Un Cuento de una Mujer Gigante con un Grande Corazón
Available as an e-book:   For Kindle   For Nook

Doña Flor is a giant lady who lives in a tiny village in the American Southwest. Popular with her neighbors, she lets the children use her flowers as trumpets and her leftover tortillas as rafts. Flor loves to read, too, and she can often be found reading aloud to the children. One day, all the villagers hear a terrifying noise: it sounds like a huge animal bellowing just outside their village. Everyone is afraid, but not Flor. She wants to protect her beloved neighbors, so with the help of her animal friends, she sets off for the highest mesa to find the creature. Soon enough, though, the joke is on Flor and her friends, who come to rescue her, as she discovers the small secret behind that great big noise.

The creators of TOMÁS AND THE LIBRARY LADY, Pat Mora and Raul Colón, have once again joined together. This time they present a heartwarming and humorous original tall tale-peppered with Spanish words and phrases about a giant lady with a great big heart.

Pat sitting on her daughter Libby's lap.

Highlighted Reviews
“Mora's poetic text is sprinkled with Spanish words and phrases, and Colon's whimsical scratchboard art adds an uplifting tine to this satisfying tale.&rdquo— Book Links

“A charming tall tale set in the American Southwest. Doña Flor, a giant, is a benevolent presence in her pueblo. While at first kids teased the young and large Flor, she quickly became an asset to them, whisking them off to school when they were running late or making tortillas big enough to be used as rafts on the river. The action starts when a puma is heard howling in the vicinity; the villagers are terrified and even Doña Flor can't find it.
     The animals know where the gato is so she follows their advice and the situation is delightfully resolved. Colón uses his signature mix of watercolor washes, etching, and litho pencils for the art. There is great texture and movement on each page in the sun-baked tones of the landscape. With Spanish words peppered throughout, this is a welcome entry to the canon that includes other heroines like Sally Ann Thunder and Thunder Rose.”—School Library Journal

“Doña Flor, beautiful giantess of the American Southwest, is so tall she plucks estrellas from the sky and grabs snow from mountaintops to wake herself up in the morning. Her can tortillas are so big that her neighbors use the extra ones as roofs. This gentle giant is una amiga and protector to all, so when a roaming, roaring mountain lion begins to scare the villagers, she vows to find the guilty gato. Since she speaks all languages (even rattler), she recruits her animal friends and successfully locates the kittenish culprit on a mesa-a tiny prankster puma using a long, hollow log to generate a big "Rrr-oarrr!" that echoes down the valley. Doña Flor, serene as la luna, turns the roars to purrs and all ends well with Pumito sleeping atop her big toes. [Raul] Colón's gorgeous illustrations (with his round, swirling scratchboard style in warm, buttery colors) … ”—Kirkus Reviews

Pat celebrates Dia 2010 with Karen Stanley, Head of Children’s Services, Rosenberg Library, Galveston TX.