LeoNora M. Cohen
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About the Artist: Alma Lucero Martinez Salazar
Alma Lucero Martinez Salazar is a recent graduate student of the Design and Graphics Communication at Instituto Tecnologico Sanmiguelense de Estudios Superiores (ITSES) in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. Since she was a little girl she got enormous pleasure in drawing and arts, so that's the reason she is a designer. She wants to illustrate books to give them color and life on each page. Another thing she enjoys is singing.
Grumpy Grandpa Dinosaur deals with the characteristics
of old people that little kids sometimes find scary or
off-putting. A small boy considers these aspects in his grandpa--using a cane, having difficulties seeing and hearing, burping and being grumpy when he is jumping and the little boy and his grandpa obviously love each other despite the strange things grumpy grandpa dinosaur does.
It is written in poetry form to delight young children with rhymes and rhythms for them to enact: Being a grump, grump, grump and doing a jump, jump, jump. Making the sounds of slurp, slurp, slurp and burp, burp, burp--good fun! And the pair shares tender feelings with each other.
It is bilingual, English and Spanish, the poetry in both languages. Learning a second language is so natural and valuable for little children ages 2-6. Their brains are stimulated and they develop new ways of thinking, along with the languages of mathematics, spatial relationships, body-kinesthetic, and emotions—all of which help children process information and learn deeply.
The story is charmingly illustrated and laid out by Alma Lucero Martinez Salazar, a young graphic designer. She was mentored by Nora when on a prestigious scholarship from Jovenes Adelante, attending university Instituto Tecnologico Sanmiguelense de Estudios Superiores (ITSES). She graduated in December with a degree in communications and graphic design.
All royalties from this story benefit the non-profit organization Centro Infantil de los Angeles. This organization, provides a free education and care for children 2 months to 5 years for the families of lowest economic resources in San Miguel. The center affords working parents the comfort of knowing their children are fed, nurtured and can learn in a safe, caring environment as they work to make a better life for themselves. Children benefit from health and dental help, nutritious meals, outstanding teachers and small classes, English instruction, field trips, and parenting classes. Seventy percent of the students score well above average on standardized tests and their progress continues through future school years.
