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Jovita Wore Pants
Scholastic/Levine has acquired Aida Salazar's debut picture book, Jovita Wore Pants, the story of Jovita Valdovinos, who dressed as a man and commanded a battalion of revolutionaries in a fight for religious freedom in the Mexican sierras. The biographical picture book is based in part on personal accounts told to Salazar, who is related to Valdovinos. Debut picture book artist Molly Mendoza will illustrate. Publication is scheduled for 2020.
Hardcover
First published March 7, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
April 10, 2023
The thrilling tale of Mexican revolutionary Jovita Valdovinos who, after a childhood of defying gender conventions, cut off her hair, assumed the name Juan, and wore pants as she'd always wanted to in order to fight with the Cristeros, a revolutionary group battling the Federal forces for religious freedom and from reprisal. Excitingly told and full of emotion, a great book for discussing gender and justice.
Themes: Gender/Gender presentation, Justice, Rebellion, War, Mexican History
Age range: Elementary
Themes: Gender/Gender presentation, Justice, Rebellion, War, Mexican History
Age range: Elementary
January 7, 2024
The start of my audiobook commute initiative. The story itself is short and great, but the post-scripts about the rest of her story and the author’s and illustrator’s intentions are wonderful.
February 3, 2024
Memoir from the Mexican Revolution of the 1910s and the Cristero Revolution (Rebellion) of the 1920s.
For those who like tales of war, those like stories about females taking on nontraditional roles or those looking for stories that portray the Catholic faith in a positive light, this 2024 Caldecott Honor will be perfect.
For those who like tales of war, those like stories about females taking on nontraditional roles or those looking for stories that portray the Catholic faith in a positive light, this 2024 Caldecott Honor will be perfect.
January 31, 2024
2024 Caldecott Honor book.
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Spencer rated this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.
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Spencer rated this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.
January 27, 2024
I love learning through picture books, and this book is an amazing example. I was lucky enough to have found the ebook and audiobook at the same time. It is an ideal combination and makes Jovitas' story extra special. The author is also the narrator of the audiobook. The illustrations by Molly Mendoza are beyond beautiful and on point for the Era.
July 17, 2023
The first I had ever heard of the Cristero Revolution in Mexico was just a few months ago when I read The Murmur of Bees. I had no idea the Mexican government had once outlawed religious practice. I know it's not realistic to know the complete history of every country on earth, but I live only a couple hundred miles from the border in Texas and I was shocked that I had never heard of this.
This children's book focuses on a remarkable woman who fought for the freedom to practice her religion in the Cristero Revolution. As the author (a distant great-niece of Jovita) says in the back matter of this book, Jovita was "a woman ahead of her time - a feminist, a leader; unconventional, daring, determined, angry, loving, and loyal." I loved learning about her from this book - the main text as well as the extensive backmatter. It's a picture book, but it's definitely more appropriate for older readers, as it deals with revolution, and the death and loss that comes with it.
The illustrations in this book are exceptionally beautiful. Every page is vibrant with swirling color and movement. The illustrator describes in the back matter why she created the illustrations this way, but I won't spoil it for you. It's enough to say that every single page is a feast for the eyes.
Highly recommended for ages 8 and up, or younger if you're prepared to discuss the heavy topics in the book with them.
This children's book focuses on a remarkable woman who fought for the freedom to practice her religion in the Cristero Revolution. As the author (a distant great-niece of Jovita) says in the back matter of this book, Jovita was "a woman ahead of her time - a feminist, a leader; unconventional, daring, determined, angry, loving, and loyal." I loved learning about her from this book - the main text as well as the extensive backmatter. It's a picture book, but it's definitely more appropriate for older readers, as it deals with revolution, and the death and loss that comes with it.
The illustrations in this book are exceptionally beautiful. Every page is vibrant with swirling color and movement. The illustrator describes in the back matter why she created the illustrations this way, but I won't spoil it for you. It's enough to say that every single page is a feast for the eyes.
Highly recommended for ages 8 and up, or younger if you're prepared to discuss the heavy topics in the book with them.
March 27, 2023
This is a really dynamic picture book biography. The artwork feels cinematic and the text is very readable. I don't know much of anything about the Cristero revolution which gives me pause--especially after seeing Salazar mention that "No person is entirely good or bad, and Jovita's life was as rich as it was complex." On the one hand, it's good that we have that caveat. On the other hand while we see mention of stories where she was the "villain and savior alike" we don't hear about them in the actual text or back matter.
Back matter includes more about Jovita with a fairly comprehensive extended biography, author's note (Jovita is Salazar's distance great-aunt and most info is taken from Jovita's memoir, "as well as anecdotes and personal interviews"), illustrator's note, no citations/bibliography which is weird since they even mention her memoir. Photo credits buried with copyright text. I'd also like to have known when these interviews took place.
I think there is some feminist content here but I also have a lot of hesitations. The lack of citations and the book coming from a family member makes this feel very one-sided which is sometimes okay but I feel like big contextual pieces are mising.
Back matter includes more about Jovita with a fairly comprehensive extended biography, author's note (Jovita is Salazar's distance great-aunt and most info is taken from Jovita's memoir, "as well as anecdotes and personal interviews"), illustrator's note, no citations/bibliography which is weird since they even mention her memoir. Photo credits buried with copyright text. I'd also like to have known when these interviews took place.
I think there is some feminist content here but I also have a lot of hesitations. The lack of citations and the book coming from a family member makes this feel very one-sided which is sometimes okay but I feel like big contextual pieces are mising.
October 27, 2023
5 stars. Fabulous biography of an, unknown to me, heroine Mexican freedom fighter. Likened to Joan of Arc, she dressed as a man in pants to use the fighting knowledge her father instilled in her. An extensive background note fills in her history, including photos and the author’s distant family relation to Jovita. Expansive and vibrant illustrations. Thank you Jovita for breaking the way for women to wear pants!
June 20, 2023
GREAT book! Would definitely use for a read aloud in grade 3 and independent reading in grade 4. Beautiful illustations and the story flows wonderfully. The main text is a literary retelling of a historical figure and the end of the book is traditional and interesting nonfiction prose.
March 7, 2023
Great way to learn history! A short and engaging story for children and more information in the back for those who want to know more. Also, the art is gorgeous!
March 13, 2023
beautiful illustrations
April 11, 2024
� 2024 Caldecott Honor Book �
What an amazing story of such a heroic and brave woman! Beautiful illustrations and loved the use of color to express emotion. The campfire scene was delightful. I thought it was neat that the author is related to Jovita!
Materials used: “created using sumi ink and composed digitally in Procreate using digital brushes and color�
Typeface used: text: Gill Sans MT; display: Rockwell
What an amazing story of such a heroic and brave woman! Beautiful illustrations and loved the use of color to express emotion. The campfire scene was delightful. I thought it was neat that the author is related to Jovita!
Materials used: “created using sumi ink and composed digitally in Procreate using digital brushes and color�
Typeface used: text: Gill Sans MT; display: Rockwell
May 6, 2024
Looking for an award winning book that incorporates the theme of courage? Jovita Wore Pants by Aida Salazar is the biography of a Mexican Freedom Fighter that has won both the Caldecott honor award and the Notable books for a global society award. Jovita never wanted to wear the big skirts that she was forced to wear and as she grows up, she finds her passion for wanting to be a soldier. At the climax of her story, Jovita found out that the government had taken someone close to her but she still persisted on becoming a soldier. There were many things that Jovita had to overcome and it was shown through the illustrations. One powerful spread that shows just how strong Jovita is when her house was set to flames by the government. The illustrator used paint strokes and deep pink/orange colors to show this tragedy that took place in her life. In addition, a spread on the last page shoes Jovita standing in pants, powerful, and determined which shows how strong and independent Jovita was. I could not put this book down, determined to find out if Jovita succeeded!
September 24, 2024
Wow! Keren! Baca bacaaa
Cerita + moral: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Ilustrasinyaa: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Cerita + moral: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Ilustrasinyaa: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
January 1, 2025
This is stunningly gorgeous
February 1, 2024
gorgeous. prettiest book i've seen in a long time.
April 24, 2024
Thank you for the backmatter with photos of the real Jovita. Excellent illustrations.
February 17, 2024
A remarkable story about Jovita Valdovinos, a courageous female who didn’t allow the cultural patriarchy to keep her from fighting for what was right. Her love of family drove her determination in all that she did.
The illustrations are vibrant; the turbulence, courage and determination are portrayed beautifully on the pages of the story.
The illustrations are vibrant; the turbulence, courage and determination are portrayed beautifully on the pages of the story.
January 27, 2024
This was a remarkable story about a girl who grew into a female warrior, dressing as a man, though that flouted the rules of her times. I didn't find the illustrations all that exceptional.
November 12, 2022
Told by her great niece, this picture book biography tells the fascinating and inspiring true story of Jovita Valdovinos, a Mexican revolutionary who disguised herself as a man to become a leader in a fight for religious freedom in the Cristeros War. Vibrant, stirring illustrations by Molly Mendoza.
February 16, 2023
Amazing story about Jovita, a Mexican freedom fighter with beautiful illustrations! Jovita had a passion to fight alongside her father and brothers. However, since was a woman, she was told to wear a skirt and to stay behind. This did not stop her from defying society’s rules and becoming a leader.
May 7, 2024
The illustrations are colorful and dream-like. They remind me of the book "Thunder Rose". The story felt like a Mexican Mulan. An illustration that stuck out to me was how the illustrators represent her captivity; the character Jovita is angry and she's stuck in big hands that represent the controlling government. It's really well done and beautiful.
The story is about Jovita, a wise, cunning, determined young woman. The story begins when she's a girl and she desires to wear pants to run and play like her brothers. She does so sneakily, while still respecting her duties and elders. As she grows into a young woman, she convinces her dad to let her fight against the government soldiers who were trying to ban Catholicism. This is known as the Cristero War. After her brothers and father were killed, she led a revolution, but now as Juan, with short hair and pants. She led the revolutionaries to success. She was honored for her courage by President Cárdenas.
The story contains beautiful onomatopoeia (coo-coo-roo-ing) and alliteration (rollicking rivers) of the animals and wildlife in Jovita's outdoor adventures as a young girl.
The theme of 'courage despite all odds' is present in all of Jovita's actions. I would absolutely use this story in the classroom with middle to upper grades. With my new fifth grade curriculum this year, we did a Hispanic heroes project after reading poems out of the book "Bravo" by Margarita Engle. I think this picture book would be a great addition to a unit like that.
I found this book through this link () and read the e-book on my laptop through my local library.
The story is about Jovita, a wise, cunning, determined young woman. The story begins when she's a girl and she desires to wear pants to run and play like her brothers. She does so sneakily, while still respecting her duties and elders. As she grows into a young woman, she convinces her dad to let her fight against the government soldiers who were trying to ban Catholicism. This is known as the Cristero War. After her brothers and father were killed, she led a revolution, but now as Juan, with short hair and pants. She led the revolutionaries to success. She was honored for her courage by President Cárdenas.
The story contains beautiful onomatopoeia (coo-coo-roo-ing) and alliteration (rollicking rivers) of the animals and wildlife in Jovita's outdoor adventures as a young girl.
The theme of 'courage despite all odds' is present in all of Jovita's actions. I would absolutely use this story in the classroom with middle to upper grades. With my new fifth grade curriculum this year, we did a Hispanic heroes project after reading poems out of the book "Bravo" by Margarita Engle. I think this picture book would be a great addition to a unit like that.
I found this book through this link () and read the e-book on my laptop through my local library.
February 15, 2024
It wasn't that long ago that female students in my own high school weren't allowed to wear pants to school, attire that most folks probably take for granted nowadays. This picture book biography of Mexican heroine Jovita Valdovinos describes her formative years and her later involvement in the fight for religious freedom in her homeland. With her father and brothers deeply involved in that movement, Jovita longs to become involved. Her father allows her some small level of involvement. After the death of her family members, she leads an army of peasants and hides her identity as a woman, even cutting off her hair. Written by a great niece with enthusiasm and deep appreciation for her courage, the book portrays the young Jovita longing for pants similar to what her brothers wore so that she could move more freely and then later taking on the mantle of leadership to carry on her family's fight. The text captures her spirit and determination while the artwork, filled with bright colors and shapes rendered through Sumi ink and Procreate, lends an intensity and urgency to every scene depicted here. The scenes are not static at all, somehow capturing the vivacity and movement of Jovita as she moves into that important role. Not a single corner of the book's pages is wasted as the illustrations almost leap from the page. The illustrations grew on me as I came to appreciate them more with each reading. Add this one to a classroom collection dedicated to strong women, individuals who made a difference, and revolutionaries. Readers won't want to miss the back matter, which includes actual photos of Jovita, additional background, and notes from the author and from the illustrator.
July 2, 2024
Beautiful non-fiction picture book detailing the little known facts about Jovita Valdovinos and her determination to fight for the rights of Mexican Catholics in the early 1900s for readers/listeners in grades 2-5. Young Jovita loved her home and the countryside surrounding it and spent as much time as possible exploring it. Wearing the skirts that were required by the culture of the time and place made this difficult and thus came Jovita’s first act of defiance-wearing pants! Later she followed her father and two brothers when they joined the Cristero Revolution in an attempt to regain the right to worship as Catholics, establish parochial schools and for priests and nuns to be able to control the money given to the church. At first she was not allowed to fight, but after the deaths of her father and brothers, she not only kept on wearing pants, but cut her hair short, changed her name to Juan and led the Cristeros until they were granted the freedoms they deserved. Great story about standing up for what you believe and fighting for your rights as well as those of a whole group of people. Gorgeous illustrations by Molly Mendoza were created using Sumi ink and composed digitally in Procreate and enhance the text perfectly. The text in the bulk of the book seldom exceeds 4 or 5 sentences, is set in a large font and has plenty of space between lines. Back matter is fairly extensive and elaborates on the life of the Mexican hero which makes this picture book also useful for older elementary readers.
A 2024-2025 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee.
A 2024-2025 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee.
March 10, 2024
I liked the actual book part a lot better than the author's note. Jovita was a real woman who lived in Mexico during the time of religious persecution by the government in the 1920s and 30s. I had no idea all that happened. We're so blessed to live in a country where we've had religious freedom. Anyway, she decided to wear pants and fight the government who was wrongfully oppressing Christianity. So I liked the nonfiction story.
There were a couple things I didn't care for in the author's note. One was that she chose her theme as a symbol of defiance. It's not being defiant to be who you are. If you are a woman who prefers pants or wearing your hair short, why does that have to be defiant? Why can't it just be being who you are? (I don't typically look at defiance as a positive thing.)
The other thing was that the author wants all girls to be "unstoppable, ferocious, and amazing." I have a small daughter. I want her to grow up to be humble of heart, kind and respectful to everyone, and hard-working. Because sometimes things do stop you. We aren't always "unstoppable," so I find that to be kind of a ludicrous goal. And calling yourself amazing would be very arrogant. It's also not a very tangible goal. What is amazing? That's different to everyone, and some people's definition of amazing would be the exact opposite of what I would want my daughter to grow up to be. But hard-working is a very tangible goal. So those are my gripes.
There were a couple things I didn't care for in the author's note. One was that she chose her theme as a symbol of defiance. It's not being defiant to be who you are. If you are a woman who prefers pants or wearing your hair short, why does that have to be defiant? Why can't it just be being who you are? (I don't typically look at defiance as a positive thing.)
The other thing was that the author wants all girls to be "unstoppable, ferocious, and amazing." I have a small daughter. I want her to grow up to be humble of heart, kind and respectful to everyone, and hard-working. Because sometimes things do stop you. We aren't always "unstoppable," so I find that to be kind of a ludicrous goal. And calling yourself amazing would be very arrogant. It's also not a very tangible goal. What is amazing? That's different to everyone, and some people's definition of amazing would be the exact opposite of what I would want my daughter to grow up to be. But hard-working is a very tangible goal. So those are my gripes.
February 22, 2024
This is the last Caldecott Honor book I have to read for 2024. I thought the artwork was amazing. It was different and colorful. Some pages looked like stained glass. The color tone represents the mountains and area that Jovita lived in. There's a wild energy in the artwork that fits with Jovita.
This is a non-fiction story of a woman who was a fighter. There was a revolution in Mexico where they tried to outlaw the Catholic Church. The people stood up for their religion. This is around 1920 or so. Back then woman wore dresses and Jovita hated dresses - they got in her way. She was active like any boy.
Eventually, Jovita became a fighter. She cut her hair and wore pants and won them freedom.
There are about three pages at the end with information on Jovita. There is some great stuff in there. The story for children is only a brief outline. The end gives more details. One of my favorite things is that she had several marriage proposals. The problem was all her husbands to be expected her to wear dresses. That was a deal breaker. She turned them down. No one would tell her what to wear. So she owned a rough bar.
I didn't know about any of this, so I got an education this morning. Nice. This is not a book for beginners. This is for older children like second grade or above.
This is a non-fiction story of a woman who was a fighter. There was a revolution in Mexico where they tried to outlaw the Catholic Church. The people stood up for their religion. This is around 1920 or so. Back then woman wore dresses and Jovita hated dresses - they got in her way. She was active like any boy.
Eventually, Jovita became a fighter. She cut her hair and wore pants and won them freedom.
There are about three pages at the end with information on Jovita. There is some great stuff in there. The story for children is only a brief outline. The end gives more details. One of my favorite things is that she had several marriage proposals. The problem was all her husbands to be expected her to wear dresses. That was a deal breaker. She turned them down. No one would tell her what to wear. So she owned a rough bar.
I didn't know about any of this, so I got an education this morning. Nice. This is not a book for beginners. This is for older children like second grade or above.
January 28, 2024
This award-winning title reveals an incredible but realistic account of a young woman in a region of Mexico whose male relatives (father, brothers) were rebel leaders on behalf of their rights to worship as they pleased and also to resist the exertion of power by the forces in control. Jovita never wanted to limit her life to the long, full skirts expected of her. Even before going off to fight with the rebels she spent her younger years tucking her skirt into her bloomers and wearing them as pants to conquer the landscape, the rugged ranges, messes, ravines, and rough terrains of her homeland. These early years and her later ones, dressed in male coveralls, her braid shorn to a short cut, head covered in wide-brimmed hat, Jovita and her fearless, brilliant dog led the rebels through that territory in resistance to those fighters whom oppressed and assaulted her people.
After those years she continued to live a complex life, sometimes controversial, always in pants, though the long braid grew back, she was urged to recount her life in an oral recorded history that formed the basis for this account, written by a distant descendant.
This is a necessary and compelling picture book that is worth reading and sharing. Back matter is equally informative and exciting.
After those years she continued to live a complex life, sometimes controversial, always in pants, though the long braid grew back, she was urged to recount her life in an oral recorded history that formed the basis for this account, written by a distant descendant.
This is a necessary and compelling picture book that is worth reading and sharing. Back matter is equally informative and exciting.
July 20, 2023
I'm not entirely sure what to make of this book, because it has so many strengths, but I still felt compelled to give it 3 stars. Learning about Jovita and the Cristeros Revolution was very interesting, and the illustrations in this book are both incredibly vibrant and match the amazing life story of Jovita.
I feel like it does a serviceable job of trying to explain the reasons for the revolution within the main text (more so in the backmatter), but learning that the author is a great niece of the subject makes me a little less confident that her story is being told without considerable bias. The other concern I have is the format of the book combined with its content. There are a lot of dark elements to Jovita's story, which thankfully are not sugarcoated, but the picture book format feels like a bit of a mismatch for this biography. The journal reviews all have this as low as age six or first grade, which I honestly find super puzzling. One final note - I would have liked there to be a pronunciation guide somewhere, just to be clear about the correct way to say "Jovita". I can imagine a lot of gringos will be stumbling over that.
I feel like it does a serviceable job of trying to explain the reasons for the revolution within the main text (more so in the backmatter), but learning that the author is a great niece of the subject makes me a little less confident that her story is being told without considerable bias. The other concern I have is the format of the book combined with its content. There are a lot of dark elements to Jovita's story, which thankfully are not sugarcoated, but the picture book format feels like a bit of a mismatch for this biography. The journal reviews all have this as low as age six or first grade, which I honestly find super puzzling. One final note - I would have liked there to be a pronunciation guide somewhere, just to be clear about the correct way to say "Jovita". I can imagine a lot of gringos will be stumbling over that.
April 9, 2024
The scene is 1910s Mexico, and Jovita wants nothing more than to wear pants and have the freedom afforded to her brother. Like all children tend to do, she escapes during the day with Ramon and learns everything there is to know about her wild countryside, and decides to tuck her big skirt into her bloomers to help her move faster. As she grows older, tensions rise between the government and the Catholic Church, and Jovita and her family fight for religious freedom alongside other local peasants.
There’s a reason this book was awarded the Caldecott honor - not only is it an incredibly captivating read-aloud recounting an original story full of female power, it’s drop-dead gorgeous. Mendoza’s artwork is a swirling, striking visual assault. Her characters are full of movement and on each page, she creates a new mood in color and detail. Most biography picture books tend toward the boring - let’s face it - it’s a different medium than a straightforward picture book, but Salazar’s prose keeps the narrative moving and the story is told succinctly and fluidly. I love this book and can’t wait to see what Mendoza and Salazar do next.
There’s a reason this book was awarded the Caldecott honor - not only is it an incredibly captivating read-aloud recounting an original story full of female power, it’s drop-dead gorgeous. Mendoza’s artwork is a swirling, striking visual assault. Her characters are full of movement and on each page, she creates a new mood in color and detail. Most biography picture books tend toward the boring - let’s face it - it’s a different medium than a straightforward picture book, but Salazar’s prose keeps the narrative moving and the story is told succinctly and fluidly. I love this book and can’t wait to see what Mendoza and Salazar do next.
January 1, 2023
Jovita grew up on a farm with her Abuela who made her wear long full skirts - she couldn't keep up with her brothers in a skirt, so, once her Abuela couldn't see her, she'd stuff her skirts into her bloomers. When her father left the farm to fight a war, and took her brothers to fight a war, Jovita wanted to go too. She knew the countryside, she would ride as well as her brothers and she would be a good soldier. But she would have to wait. Women did not go to war. But after a family tragedy, Jovita disguises herself as a man and organizes an army of her own.
Jovita Valdovinos was quite a remarkable woman. I really liked this picture book biography. Molly Medoza's illustrations are vibrant and artistic, and accompany the text beautifully. The biography is thorough, but is made richer by the "more about" and the author and illustrator's notes. Characters are Mexican.
Crossposted to
Jovita Valdovinos was quite a remarkable woman. I really liked this picture book biography. Molly Medoza's illustrations are vibrant and artistic, and accompany the text beautifully. The biography is thorough, but is made richer by the "more about" and the author and illustrator's notes. Characters are Mexican.
Crossposted to
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