Snapshots From the Wedding

Bibliography

Soto, Gary. 1997. SNAPSHOTS FROM THE WEDDING. Ill. By Stephanie Garcia. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 039922808X

Summary

Maya, a flower girl on a wedding day, describes family members and the events that take place at the wedding. She describes Danny “bearing a pillow with rings,” Father Jaime and the yawning altar boy, the beautiful bride, Isabel and Rafael, the groom. Once the wedding ceremony is over, everybody moves to the reception where there is food, cake, and a mariachis band. Through Maya’s eyes, she describes this special occasion of “a wedding to remember.”

Critical Analysis

Both Soto and Garcia have created a wonderful story that captures a little girls experience at a Mexican American wedding. Many cultural markers are found throughout the story. Several Spanish words are used in the story. Soto uses these words in the story without giving the English translation; however, there is a glossary of Spanish words at the beginning of the book. Some of the names like Rafael, Isabel, Marta, Juan, and Maya are Spanish names. Special foods are eaten at the wedding that is culturally authentic. Maya describes how everyone lines up for “pollo con mole, Arroz y frijoles, then some soda or beer.” Maya describes how the mariachis begin, “Trumpet blaring, the guitarrón thumping a beat” and everybody begins to dance. “Then the bride dances for money. Tio Julio pins a twenty on her dress.”

Although this is a Mexican American wedding, there are many elements to the story that many children can relate to. Maya describes playing with the other children at the wedding, dancing on her father’s feet, eating wedding cake, placing black olives onto her fingers, and spilling something on her clothes. These memories transcend through many cultures which is what makes this story so powerful.

Garcia’s use of three-dimensional artwork uniquely displays each of the wedding scenes. Each scene is displayed in a wooden box using clay figures that have been painted. The wedding guests all have brown skin and dark brown hair. She has dressed each of the family members in beautiful fabrics and displayed various objects to go along with each scene. Each of these memory boxes captures Soto’s words.

Reviews

School Library Journal review: “Soto's picture book provides a glimpse into an American cultural tradition?a wedding with a Hispanic flair. Maya, the narrator, is a flower girl. Mariachi musicians provide the music, and for dinner the family and friends eat pollo con mole. There is a glossary for the handful of Spanish terms sprinkled throughout the text. Garcia's illustrations are wonderful. Sculpy clay figures are dressed up and carefully arranged in a wooden shadow box frame, and each page is set on a background of pastel with lace.”

Booklist review: “There's nothing like a wedding, and this book about a wedding is not quite like any other. Soto takes readers to a Mexican American nuptial, and young Maya, the flower girl, is the lens through which the action is seen. All the fun of the event is here: the altar boy with the dirty sneakers under his gown, Maya putting pitted black olives on each of her fingers, the kids whacking one another with balloons. There are the more traditional moments as well--the wedding kiss, the wedding cake, and the toast to the bride and groom. The text's free verse could have been illustrated in many ways, but the choice of three-dimensional artwork was inspired.”

Connections

Other stories by Gary Soto include:

Soto, Gary. 2000. BASEBALL IN APRIL AND OTHER STORIES. ISBN 0152025677

Soto, Gary. 1997. CHATO’S KITCHEN. ISBN 0698116003

Soto, Gary. 1992. THE SKIRT. ISBN 0385905343