| BASIC INFO | LANGUAGE LEVEL | COMPREHENSION-AIDING FEATURES |
|---|---|---|
| Book Title Agentes secretos y el mural de Picasso (Secret Agents and the Picasso Mural) Author(s) Mira Canion Illustrator(s) Mira Canion Other Contributors David Bruce Bennett, Yajayra Barragan Published by Self published Genre Historical Fiction, Mystery and Adventures, Folktales and Legends Publication date 2017 #Ownvoices N/A | Level From the author/publisher’s website Easy Total Word Count No info | Illustrations YES Glossary YES Guiding Questions NO Context YES Other |
| IDENTITIES PRESENT IN THE TEXT | SYNOPSIS | |
|---|---|---|
| Races, Ethnicities, and Nationalities Spanish Hispanic Languages spoken Spanish Sex and Genders Male Female Ages Adult Social classes Middle Class | Sexual Orientation Heterosexual Abilities Neurotypical Non-disabled Religions Christian Family Structures N/A Body Type N/A | From the author/publisher’s website Pablo Picasso’s mural Guernica is on display at the 1937 International Exposition. Both sides of the Spanish Civil War quickly realize that the painting contains clues to the whereabouts of the supernatural Spear of Destiny. Its occult power can change the outcome of the Civil War, just as it has done in other battles throughout history. As Paula’s imagination begins to decipher the hidden symbols, Francisco Franco’s secret agents are not far behind her. They are ready to capture the Spear at the most opportune moment, convinced that impulsive Paula will betray her quest for the Spear. |
| ILLUSTRATIONS | STORY | SOCIAL JUSTICE |
|---|---|---|
| To what extent do the illustrations present positive and thoughtful representations of identities? The illustrations are photographs of France and Spain taken by the author and do not contain the characters. | We understand identities are complex and no single story represents the spectrum of identity-based experiences. Also, a text may address a stereotype, misrepresentation, or generalization without relying on it. Does any stereotype, misrepresentation, or generalization affect any positive and thoughtful representations of identities in the text? NO | This section is for teachers who are working towards sourcing more texts within the four domains of anti-bias education. We are excited about reading all books and we understand that not all books are written for this specific purpose. Does this text work toward goals within any of the four domains of anti-bias education as defined by Teaching Tolerance? NO |
| LLLAB’s REVIEW |
|---|
Agentes secretos y el mural de Picasso is a story about two secret agents Paula and Luis in search of the Spear of Destiny, around France, Pamplona, and Barcelona, Spain. This spear is thought to have special powers and whoever holds it gains great power. Two groups of secret agents are in search of the Spear, Javier and Mario (working for Francisco Franco) and Paula and Luis (working for the father of Luis). It is an easy level reader based in Spain (Pamplona and Barcelona), and Paris, with mentions of cultural products and places such as Picasso’s Guernica, the Spear of Destiny, Las Ramblas, Sainte-Chapelle, among others. All of these cultural landmarks are tied together throughout the story in a creative way. The photographs help the reader create a mental image of the different settings of the story. Since the book focuses on Spanish landmarks, the teacher has the opportunity to expand on deeper cultural practices. 3.18.2022 We previously identified the examples below as language imperialism. By nature, authors of comprehensible readers create texts that maximize comprehension of the language for language learners whose first language is English, and this can result in unintended language imperialism when the author’s native language is not Spanish. We acknowledge that this is a complex concept and that there are many forms of expression among speakers of any language – what appears to function as language imperialism to one individual may not to another for various reasons. We are looking forward to growing our understanding of this concept through future research and dialogue. There are examples of language imperialism. On page 37 and 38, it says, “De repente, el coche de Paula salta de la calle.” This could mean that the car jumps from the street, however, “saltar” is not a common word used in this context in Spanish. Also, on page 30, “Javier dice a Paula” should be “Javier le dice a Paula”. We also see this at the end of page 30 and the beginning of page 31 “La princesa dice a Paula” should be “La princesa le dice a Paula”. |
LLLAB 