Maya's Blanket

Summary of Book

Maya’s grandmother made her a special blanket to protect her from bad dreams. As Maya grows, the blanket is made into smaller and smaller items, from a dress to a bookmark. Each item has a special meaning for Maya and helps her in some way. When she loses the bookmark, she creates a book about all the items which she eventually shares with her own daughter. Inspired by a traditional Yiddish folk song and infused with Latino elements, Maya’s Blanket is a heartfelt story about family ties and creativity, enhanced by rich mixed-media illustrations. Includes glossary of Spanish words.

Author Biography

Monica Brown, Ph.D. is the author of, most recently, Lola Levine is Not Mean!, the first in a chapter book series from Little Brown & Co; She is also the author of Maya's Blanket/la manta de Maya (Lee & Low), a picture book illustrated by Caldecott-winner David Diaz, recently reviewed in the New York Times. She has written many award-winning books for children, including Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People (Henry Holt), winner of the Américas Award for Children's Literature and an Orbis Pictus Honor for Outstanding Nonfiction, and Waiting for the Biblioburro (Random House), a Christopher Award winner. Her picture book Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match/Marisol McDonald (Lee & Low) is the winner of the Tejas Star Book Award, the International Latino Book Award, and a Pura Belpré Honor for Illustration. Marisol McDonald and the Clash Bash/Marisol McDonald y la fiesta sin igual, the second book in the Marisol series, was published in September 2013. Her books have received numerous starred reviews and accolades.

Illustrator Biography

David Díaz grew up in southern Florida with his family. He discovered his love for drawing when he was in the first grade while working on a vowel worksheet. His parents were afraid of his love for art because they did not want him to struggle with the uncertainty of being an artist. His mother died when he was sixteen years old. From this tragedy in Díaz's life, he used drawing as a way for an emotional output. In high school, Díaz had an inspiring teacher that was able to lead him to competitions where he won awards for his art. When he got older, Díaz moved to southern California where he became a graphic design artist until he made his own design and illustration business called Diaz Icon.[2] In 2018, a book Diaz had illustrated was pulled before its publication following allegations of sexual harassment at a Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conference.[3]