LeoNora M. Cohen
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About the Artist: Bailee Espinosa-Crampton
Bailee Espinola-Compton, an aspiring artist, is a college student working toward a digital art degree. Bailee has always loved art and creating things. Most of the time she does more traditional art, with acrylics and pencils, but wants to get better with digital art. This is her first time illustrating a book, but this experience has taught her she wants to keep illustrating. Bailee was born and raised in Oregon, and in her free time she loves playing golf, tending to the garden and coaching basketball to middle school girls. With a nephew, two nieces and another nephew on the way, she’s excited to share this book with them
Tamale, a young donkey, is given to his old cousin Paco to help him make a better living. The story starts with Tamale helping his mother on an avocado farm. It follows the old man and donkey on the trip home, enters the shack where he lives, and follows them on trips to town to earn money. We learn about rural poverty and how his new owner, Paco, makes a living digging and sifting soil and cutting firewood. Hunger is ever present.
A kind mother invites the old man and donkey into her house. She offers food and she and the old man exchange stories. Her little boy is enchanted with Tamale and the story ends tenderly, with Paco and Tamale moving into her father's casita and are no longer skinny.
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All royalties from the sale of this book benefit Feed the Hungry San Miguel de Allende, a nonprofit organization based in Guanajuato, Mexico. This organization builds kitchens in low-income schools in and around San Miguel to ensure that children have nutritious meals. Mothers are taught to run the kitchen and cook healthy food. The ingredients are distributed to schools each week.
Students help grow a school vegetable garden which provides nutritional education and vegetables for the lunches. Children learn to grow their own food. The program has made a difference in the academic success of over 5,000 children every school day. During COVID when people could not work, food staples were delivered to hungry families. Your donations are most welcome!
http://www.feedthehungrysma.org
