THE DESERT IS MY MOTHER by Pat Mora

Multicultural Poetry

Mora, Pat. 1994. THE DESERT IS MY MOTHER - EL DESIERTO ES MI MADRE. art by Daniel Lechon. Houston, TX: Piñata Books. ISBN 9781558851214.

A Skipping Stones Honor Award Book


Pat Mora is an award winning Latino poet and author. In this picture book, The Desert is My Mother, Pat Mora pairs up with the painter, Daniel Lechon, to create a story of Mother Nature. A young, dark haired girl narrates the poem describing the beauty of the desert and all it provides for her. Throughout the poem, the young girl invokes the powers of the desert, and the desert responds. The desert provides for her everything she needs, such as sun, water, life, and healing powers. The poem is written in English, translated in Spanish. As you turn the pages, a new stanza of the poem appears, with English on the top and the Spanish translation below.

The poem, by Pat Mora, is free verse, however follows a specific pattern throughout.  Each stanza begins with a short line, followed by a longer line. There is a definite rhythm found while reading the poem, making for a great read aloud for students working on fluency. Mora uses an abundance of metaphors and personification throughout this poem, creating a vivid image of the desert for the readers. Just like Mora's other award winning poems and books, this poem is brilliantly written.

The art in the book is created by Daniel Lechon, a prize-winning artist. Lechon adds to the imagery of the poem, illustrating the beauty of the desert, as well as the dreamy girl narrating the story. Lechon's illustrations show the expressions of the girl change through the story as the desert changes. When the desert provides her with rain, we see her joyful expression in the illustrations. When the desert yells out with thunder, the illustrations show her fear. The pictures of the girl are framed by a sand texture, adding to the imagery of the desert.

Spotlight Poem

I say frighten me.

She shouts thunder, flashes lightning.

I say hold me.

She whispers, "Lie in my arms."

I say heal me.

She gives me chamomile, oregano, peppermint.

I say caress me.

She strokes my skin with her warm breath.

excerpt from THE DESERT IS MY MOTHER.

Classroom Connections

Many grade levels have habitats and environments included in their Science TEKS, and this book would be an excellent addition to this unit. After reading the poem, the students could choose a different environment to write a poem about. 

While reading the poem and introducing, play background music with desert sounds.  Then, replay the music while students write about what they hear. Then have them share in groups their thoughts and writings.

Since there are two lines in each stanza, you could have pairs, or groups, take turns reading the lines of the poem.

Pat Mora includes many actions in this poem, with many opportunities to teach personification. You could have students act out this poem while reading it.