About the Book
Real-life Santa Fe painter Maria Hesch (1909–1994) painted
innocent narratives of her life as a young girl growing up along
the river and next to her grandfather’s alfalfa field that linked
the family to the nearby church. In Maria Paints the Hills,
acclaimed writer Pat Mora imagines the story of the young Maria
revealed in the paintings. She is a sensitive child, alive to the
colors and shapes of her world, a child who makes of her solitary
playtime the companionship of her budding artful imagination.
“Look, Tia,” Maria says excitedly. “See the caballitos
galloping in the fire? The flames look like little horses.” Pat
Mora reminds us that children are the original artists.
“I was born in Santa Fe,” writes painter Maria Hesch, recalling
her first stirrings as an artist, “where I lived with my widowed
mother and next door to my Grandpa. It was from them that I
learned the stories, traditions, and customs that I have tried to
portray in my paintings.”
Pat Mora is the author of Tomás and the Library Lady and the
recent A Library for Juana, among many books for children, and is
a poet and nonfiction writer of such books as House of Houses, a
memoir, and Aunt Carmen’s Book of Practical Saints. A devoted
organizer (El día de los niños/El día de los libros) and speaker
to bilingual audiences nationwide, Pat Mora is the recipient of
fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the W. K.
Kellogg Foundation. She and her family divide their time between
the Cinncinati, Ohio, area and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
“Maria Paints the Hills is a warm and playful book to read over
and over so as to savor the magical imaginations of two gifted
artists. Hold this book on your lap so everyone can enjoy Maria
Hesch’s brilliant portrayals of our New Mexican way of life and
Pat Mora’s words that flow like honey.” —Rudolfo Anaya
Highlighted Reviews
“This cherished book is the result of the collaboration of
kindred spirits. It would make a lovely gift for readers of all
ages.”—The Santa Fe New Mexican
“This little book is both children’s literature and history.
The book includes color images of 17 paintings executed by Maria
Hesch. . . A concurrent narrative of Maria’s imaginary life penned
by Pat Mora, a respected author of children’s books, paints a
charming verbal portrait from the perspective of a little
girl….Maria Hesch (1909-1994) was a self-taught artist and is
known as Santa Fe’s Grandma Moses.
—New Mexico Magazine
‘“Maria Paints the Hills’ . . . offers readers a nostalgic look
at Santa Fe. Illustrated with Maria Hesch’s paintings created in
the early twentieth century, the picture book tells the story of a
little girl whose dream of becoming an artist moves closer to
reality when she receives her first box of paints.”—Albuquerque
Journal North
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