Doña Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart

Doña Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart

Author: Pat Mora

Illustrator: Raul Colón

Genre: Fiction (Fantasy)

Major Awards: Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text, Pura Belpré Award for Illustration

Grade Level: Pre-K-2

Summary: As a child, Doña Flor's mother sang to her. Her singing caused her to grow and grow, until she was a giant. At first, she was made fun of and did not fit in with the other people in her village. They soon realized her big heart, though, and accepted her. Flor was very generous and kind, always feeding the villagers, taking them places they needed to go, and helping the animals in the nearby forest. One day, the people in her village were nowhere to be seen. It is revealed that an extremely loud (and thought to be giant) puma was scaring everyone away. Flor looked for the puma day and night, but was having no luck. Finally, she asked her animal friends (she spoke all languages, including those of the different animals) and they told her where to find the puma. Flor realized that the puma was roaring into a log, making it sound much louder and scarier than it actually was. She befriended the puma and the people in her village no longer had to live in fear. 

Evaluation: I would use this book in my classroom, but I would first pre-teach the Spanish vocabulary used to my students so that they can best understand the book. It has brilliant illustrations. I do think I would break it up, though, as the book seemed rather long while I was reading it. Other than that, it is very appropriate and has important themes, such as acceptance, kindness, and leadership.

This book would be best for younger students because the storyline is very simple and easy to understand. It also has a lot of imaginative/fantastical elements that would make it fun and enticing for children. I think that older students might be bored with it, though, as it is not relatable and may seem childish to them.

I think this could be used for a few different types of lessons. My primary use in my classroom would be to teach about acceptance and kindness, most likely part of a citizenship unit. As a class, we could list and discuss the ways that Doña Flor was kind and the good deeds she did and how we can be like her. We can also talk about our own experiences with good deeds and accepting others even though they are different. My second idea for a lesson would be to teach about sound, vibration, and sound waves, relating it to the puma's roars. The students would be able to take ideas from literature to learn science, which would in turn help them understand the story better.