Ancona, George 1929–

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Ancona, George 1929–

PERSONAL:

Born Jorge Efrain Ancona, December 4, 1929, in New York, NY; son of Efrain José (an accountant and amateur photographer) and Emma (a seamstress) Ancona; married Patricia Apatow, March 4, 1951 (divorced, 1966); married Helga Von Sydow (a journalist), June 20, 1968; children: (first marriage) Lisa, Gina, Tomas; (second marriage) Isabel, Marina, Pablo. Ethnicity: "Mexican-American." Education: Attended Academia San Carlos, 1949-50, Art Students League, 1950-51, and Cooper Union, 1951-52. Politics: Democrat.

ADDRESSES:

Home and office—Santa Fe, NM. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Photographer, filmmaker, and author. New York Times, New York, NY, member of promotions department, 1950-51; Esquire magazine, New York, NY, art director, 1951-53; Seventeen magazine, New York, NY, head of promotion department, 1953-54; Grey Advertising, New York, NY, art director, 1954-57; Daniel & Charles, New York, NY, art director, 1957-61; George Ancona, Inc., New York, NY, photographer and filmmaker, 1961—. Instructor at Rockland Community College, School of Visual Arts, and Parsons School of Design; lecturer on film, design photography, and books.

MEMBER:

Authors Guild.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Art Director's Show award, 1959, 1960, 1967; Cine Golden Eagle Award, Council on Non-Theatrical Events, 1967, for film Reflections, and 1972, for film Cities of the Web; award from American Institute of Graphic Arts, 1967, 1968, 1974; Cindy Award, Industry Film Producers Association, 1967; Science Book Awards Nonfiction Younger Honor, New York Academy of Sciences, 1975, for Handtalk, and 1988, for Turtle Watch; Golden Kite Award, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, 1980, for Finding Your First Job; American Library Association Notable Book designation, and Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies designation, National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)/Children's Book Council (CBC), 1986, both for Sheep Dog; Best Illustrated Children's Books of the Year citation, New York Times, 1987, for Handtalk Birthday; Carter G. Woodson Book Award for Outstanding Merit, NCSS, 1987, for Living in Two Worlds; Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies designation, NCSS/CBC, c. 1989, for Spanish Pioneers of the Southwest; Texas Blue Bonnet Award, c. 1989, for The American Family Farm; Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies designation, NCSS/CBC, c. 1990, for Riverkeeper and Mom Can't See Me; Pick of the Lists citation, American Booksellers Association, 1991, for The Aquarium Book; Children's Book of the Year citation, Bank Street College Children's Book Committee, 1993, for Pablo Remembers; Best 100 Children's Books citation, New York Public Library, 1993, for Powwow; John Burroughs Nature Books for Young Readers listee, 1993, for Earth Keepers, by Joan Anderson; Parents' Choice Award, 1994, for The Piñata Maker/El piñatero; Children's Book of the Year citation, Bank Street College Children's Book Committee, 1994, for Twins on Toes; Golden Duck Award for excellence in children's science fiction, 1994, for Richie's Rocket; Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children citation, National Science Teachers Association/CBC, 1995, for The Golden Lion Tamarin Comes Home; Americas Award for Children's and Young-Adult Literature, Consortium of Latin-American Studies Programs, 1998, and Pura Belpré Honor Book designation, Association for Library Service to Children/National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking, 2000, both for Barrio; Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award, 2002, for body of work; Bank Street College Children's Book Committee Children's Book of the Year designation, Americas Award Commended designation, and Cooperative Children's Book Center Choice designation, all 2007, all for Capoeira; New Mexico Book Association Special Recognition award, 2008.

WRITINGS:

AND PHOTOGRAPHER

Monsters on Wheels, Dutton (New York, NY), 1974.

And What Do You Do?, Dutton (New York, NY), 1976.

I Feel: A Picture Book of Emotions, Dutton (New York, NY), 1977.

Growing Older, Dutton (New York, NY), 1978.

It's a Baby!, Dutton (New York, NY), 1979.

Dancing Is …, Dutton (New York, NY), 1981.

Bananas: From Manolo to Margie, Clarion (New York, NY), 1982.

Teamwork: A Picture Essay about Crews and Teams at Work, Crowell (New York, NY), 1983.

Monster Movers, Dutton (New York, NY), 1983.

Freighters, Crowell (New York, NY), 1985.

Sheep Dog, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1985.

Helping Out, Clarion (New York, NY), 1985.

Turtle Watch, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1987.

Riverkeeper, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1990.

The Aquarium Book, Clarion (New York, NY), 1991.

Man and Mustang, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1992.

My Camera, Crown (New York, NY), 1992.

Pablo Remembers: The Fiesta of the Day of the Dead, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1993.

Powwow, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1993.

Ser util, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1993.

The Golden Lion Tamarin Comes Home, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1994.

The Piñata Maker/El piñatero, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1994.

Ricardo's Day/El día de Ricardo, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1995.

Fiesta U.S.A., Dutton (New York, NY), 1995.

Stone Cutters, Carvers, and the Cathedral, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1995.

Earth Daughter: Alicia of Acoma Pueblo, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1995.

In City Gardens, Celebrations Press (Glenview, IL), 1996.

Mayeros: A Yucatec Maya Family, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1997.

Let's Dance!, Morrow/Avon (New York, NY), 1998.

Fiesta Fireworks, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1998.

Barrio: José's Neighborhood, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1998.

Carnaval, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1999.

Charro: The Mexican Cowboy, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1999.

Cuban Kids, Marshall Cavendish (Tarrytown, MD), 2000.

Harvest, Marshall Cavendish (Tarrytown, MD), 2001.

Come and Eat, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2001.

Murals, Walls That Sing, Marshall Cavendish (Tarrytown, MD), 2003.

Capoeira: Game! Dance! Martial Art!, Lee & Low (New York, NY), 2007.

Self Portrait, Robert C. Owen (New York, NY), 2007.

Authors works have been translated into Spanish.

"HANDTALK" SERIES; AND PHOTOGRAPHER

(With Remy Charlip and Mary Beth Miller) Handtalk: An ABC of Finger Spelling and Sign Language, Parents' Magazine Press (New York, NY), 1974.

(With Remy Charlip and Mary Beth Miller) Handtalk Birthday: A Number and Story Book in Sign Language, Four Winds Press (New York, NY), 1987.

(With Mary Beth Miller) Handtalk Zoo, Four Winds Press (New York, NY), 1989.

(With Mary Beth Miller) Handtalk School, Four Winds Press (New York, NY), 1991.

"VIVA MEXICO!" SERIES; AND PHOTOGRAPHER

The Fiestas, Marshall Cavendish (Tarrytown, MD), 2002.

The Folk Arts, Marshall Cavendish (Tarrytown, MD), 2002.

The Past, Marshall Cavendish (Tarrytown, MD), 2002.

The People, Marshall Cavendish (Tarrytown, MD), 2002.

The Foods, Marshall Cavendish (Tarrytown, MD), 2002.

"SOMOS LATINOS" SERIES; AND PHOTOGRAPHER

Mi barrio/My Neighborhood, Children's Press (Danbury, CT), 2004.

Mi casa/My House, Children's Press (Danbury, CT), 2004.

Mi escuela/My School, Children's Press (Danbury, CT), 2004.

Mi familia/My Family, Children's Press (Danbury, CT), 2004.

Mis amigos/My Friends, Children's Press (Danbury, CT), 2004.

Mi musica/My Music, Children's Press (Danbury, CT), 2005.

Mis abuelos/My Grandparents, Children's Press (Danbury, CT), 2005.

Mis comidas/My Foods, Children's Press (Danbury, CT), 2005.

Mis fiestas/My Celebrations, Children's Press (Danbury, CT), 2005.

Mis juegos/My Games, Children's Press (Danbury, CT), 2005.

Mis quehaceres/My Chores, Children's Press (Danbury, CT), 2005.

PHOTOGRAPHER

Barbara Brenner, A Snake-Lover's Diary, Scott Young Books, 1970.

Barbara Brenner, Faces, Dutton (New York, NY), 1970.

Barbara Brenner, Bodies, Dutton (New York, NY), 1973.

Louise Jackson, Grandpa Had a Windmill, Grandma Had a Churn, Parents' Magazine Press (New York, NY), 1977.

Jean Holzenthaler, My Feet Do, Dutton (New York, NY), 1979.

Louise Jackson, Over on the River, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1980.

Sue Alexander, Finding Your First Job, Dutton (New York, NY), 1980.

Howard Smith, Balance It, Four Winds Press (New York, NY), 1982.

Maxine B. Rosenberg, My Friend Leslie: The Story of a Handicapped Child, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1983.

Joan Anderson, First Thanksgiving Feast, Clarion (New York, NY), 1984.

Maxine B. Rosenberg, Being Adopted, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1984.

Joan Anderson, Christmas on the Prairie, Clarion (New York, NY), 1985.

Maxine B. Rosenberg, Being a Twin, Having a Twin, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1985.

Joan Anderson, The Glorious Fourth at Prairietown, Morrow (New York, NY), 1986.

Maxine B. Rosenberg, Making a New Home in America, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1986.

Maxine B. Rosenberg, Living in Two Worlds, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1986.

Joan Anderson, Pioneer Children of Appalachia, Clarion (New York, NY), 1986.

Floreva G. Cohen, My Special Friend, Board of Jewish Education (New York, NY), 1986.

Sam and Beryl Epstein, Jackpot of the Beagle Brigade, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1987.

Joan Anderson, Joshua's Westward Journal, Morrow (New York, NY), 1987.

Maxine B. Rosenberg, Artists of Handcrafted Furniture at Work, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1988.

Maxine B. Rosenberg, Finding a Way: Living with Exceptional Brothers and Sisters, afterword by Stephen Greenspan, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1988.

Joan Anderson, From Map to Museum: Uncovering Mysteries of the Past, introduction by David Hurst Thomas, Morrow Junior Books (New York, NY), 1988.

Joan Anderson, A Williamsburg Household, Clarion (New York, NY), 1988.

Joan Anderson, The American Family Farm: A Photo Essay, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1989.

Marcia Seligson, Dolphins at Grassy Key, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1989.

Joan Anderson, Spanish Pioneers of the Southwest, Dutton (New York, NY), 1989.

Shirley Climo, City! New York, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1990.

Shirley Climo, City! San Francisco, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1990.

Joan Anderson, Harry's Helicopter, Morrow (New York, NY), 1990.

Sally Hobart Alexander, Mom Can't See Me, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1990.

Joan Anderson, Pioneer Settlers of New France, Dutton (New York, NY), 1990.

Maxine B. Rosenberg, Brothers and Sisters, Clarion (New York, NY), 1991.

Joan Anderson, Christopher Columbus: From Vision to Voyage, Dial (New York, NY), 1991.

Shirley Climo, City! Washington, DC, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1991.

Christine Loomis, My New Baby-sitter, Morrow (New York, NY), 1991.

Bonnie Larkin Nims, Just beyond Reach and Other Riddle Poems, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1992.

Sally Hobart Alexander, Mom's Best Friend, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1992.

Joan Anderson, Earth Keepers, Gulliver Green/Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1993.

Mildred Leinweber Dawson, Over Here It's Different: Carolina's Story, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1993.

Joan Anderson, Richie's Rocket, Morrow (New York, NY), 1993.

Joan Anderson, Twins on Toes: A Ballet Debut, Lodestar (New York, NY), 1993.

Joan Anderson, Sally's Submarine, Morrow (New York, NY), 1995.

Joan Anderson, Cowboys: Roundup on an American Ranch, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1996.

Barbara Beasley Murphy, Miguel Lost and Found in the Palace, Museum of New Mexico Press (Santa Fe, NM), 2002.

Pat Mora, Join Hands: The Ways We Celebrate Life, Charlesbridge (New York, NY), 2008.

OTHER

Also author of film scripts, including Doctor and Dentist, two short films for Sesame Street; Faces and The River, for children; Getting It Together, a documentary film about the Children's Television Workshop and Neighborhood Youth Corps; Cities of the Web, produced by Macmillan; Looking for Pictures, Looking for Color, and Seeing Rhythm, a series; Reflections, produced by American Crafts Council; The Link, produced by Orba Corporation; and Expansion, produced by Diamond International Corporation.

SIDELIGHTS:

George Ancona is renowned for creating vivid photo essays that allow children to immerse themselves in new ideas and cultures, to appreciate labor that so often goes unnoticed behind the scenes of daily life, and to accept themselves as well as others. Many of his images, as well as his writings, also celebrate his own Mexican heritage and the Spanish language. Ancona keeps the interests of his readers in mind while he works; as he explained in an essay for Something about the Author Autobiography Series (SAAS), he attempts to convey "the same feeling I had when my father would show me … big ships. It's like seeing something awe-inspiring and you just have to say, ‘WOW.’"

Ancona once commented about his childhood: "My parents had come from Yucatan in Mexico, and I was raised a Mexican, learning to speak Spanish first. My father wanted me to grow up in the American way so we never lived in a Latin barrio. Instead I grew up the only Latin in an Italian neighborhood. There I acquired my English, work skills, street wisdom, and a godfather.

"Growing up in Coney Island, my world consisted of the contrast between the fantasies of the amusement rides and the limitless space of the sea. Summers were spent in a bathing suit running with a pack of boys through the streets to the beach, swimming out beyond the third barrel, straining the sands for coins, and sneaking into the amusement parks. From the age of twelve, I worked weekends and summers for a variety of craftsmen: an auto mechanic, a carpenter, and in the amusement parks. I would also make money with a friend by collecting junk and scrap paper in an old push cart. When loaded with newspaper it took both of us to raise it on its two big wheels and push it to the junk dealer. This way we always had money for the movies and a hot dog."

Ancona began to express his creativity as an artist while he was still young. "My father's hobby was photography and it was my first introduction to the making of images…. It was at home that I began to draw by copying photographs." Later, at Mark Twain Junior High School, he began to gain an interest in graphic design. "It was the sign-painting teacher who got me interested in lettering and painting the sets for the dramatic performances. When I graduated, I was given the Sign Painting Medal. In Lincoln High School, I had the good fortune of studying design with Mr. Leon Friend, who had organized an extra-curricular group called the Art Squad," Ancona recalled. He excelled under the direction of the Art Squad and its alumni, and won a scholarship to the Art Students League in New York City. He also met Rufino Tamayo, a renowned Mexican artist, who invited Ancona to visit him in Mexico.

Ancona accepted Tamayo's invitation, and Tamayo arranged for the young artist to spend six months painting at the Academy of San Carlos in Mexico. There, Ancona met José Clemente Orozco, a famous Mexican muralist; Igor Stravinsky, the composer; Diego Rivera, another great Mexican muralist; and Frida Kahlo, Rivera's wife and a painter and artist in her own right. Ancona also journeyed to Merida, in the Yucatan, to meet relatives from both sides of his family. Traveling further into the Yucatan, he spent the night at the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza.

When his money ran out, Ancona returned to the United States to attend the Art Students League. He stayed for the duration of his scholarship, nine months, and then went to work as an artist's apprentice. Although he tried to attend school at Cooper Union at night, a new job in the promotion department at the New York Times left him exhausted. He decided to forgo school and concentrate on work. Around the same time, he also decided to marry his first wife, Patricia Apatow. Ancona went on to work as a staff designer at Esquire magazine, as an art director for Apparel Arts magazine, and then as art director of the promotion department for Seventeen magazine. Ancona recalled in his SAAS essay that the job at Seventeen "gave me my first taste of advertising. I enjoyed the challenge of blending images with words to create forceful messages."

Ancona moved on again to become an art director for the NBC television and radio networks, to work in fashion photography, and to try his hand at filmmaking. "The film experiences and my early attempts at photography seemed to be leading me into a different career direction. Having started out as someone who loved to draw and paint, I was spending more and more time with film and still cameras." At thirty years old, Ancona felt he had to make a decision about his career: "It was now or never so I took the plunge," he wrote in SAAS. He quit his job and began his career as a freelance photographer by taking photographs for Vogue Children. In addition, he made films for Sesame Street and filmed the children's series Big Blue Marble. As he worked, he traveled to Brazil, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Japan, Iceland, Tunisia, and Switzerland. It was during this time that Ancona and his first wife divorced. Ancona's three children, Lisa, Gina, and Tomas, stayed with him, and he later married Helga Von Sydow. With Von Sydow, Ancona had three more children: Isabel, Marina, and Pablo. By 2008 he could also boast four grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Ancona created his first children's book photographs in 1970. "My introduction to children's books was totally unexpected," he later revealed. Barbara Brenner, Ancona's friend and an established writer, asked him if he would be interested in making photographs to illustrate one of her books. "Since I had never done a children's book, I said yes." Faces, Bodies, and A Snake-Lover's Diary resulted. Later, when the editor of Brenner and Ancona's books suggested that he write the text as well as illustrate a book, Ancona "gulped hard" and said he "would try." Ancona's interest in "watching construction sites and huge machinery" and "several months photographing" led to the creation of his first book, Monsters on Wheels. This detailed book describes machines that "push, lift, crush, and haul," from cranes to the Lunar Roving Vehicle that explored the moon. John S. Radosta, writing in the New York Times Book Review, characterized Monsters on Wheels as "excellent."

Monster Movers features sixteen machines, from a walking dragline to a clamshell bucket loader, that move mountains of coal, grain, and cargo over land, onto ships, and off ships. One of these machines, a crawler-transporter, is pictured moving the U.S. Space Shuttle. "Once again Ancona has mixed striking photographs, a lucid text and a fascinating subject with winning results," Connie Tyrrell Burns commented in School Library Journal. Like Monsters on Wheels and Monster Movers, Freighters presents various machines that help people work. In Freighters Ancona focuses on the people who control the machines as well as on the machines; with his camera, he follows the qualifications, training, and daily routine of a freighter crew. Many of his books are entirely devoted to workers and the jobs they perform. Even Sheep Dog, which features a very intelligent breed of dogs, is about an important kind of work: guarding and herding sheep.

According to School Library Journal reviewer Andy Ward, And What Do You Do? presents twenty-one jobs, including carpenter, costume designer, dental assistant, barber, and nurse through "outstanding photographs" and a "lucid writing style." Denise M. Wilms noted in Booklist that Ancona's photographs feature "men and women of varying racial and ethnic backgrounds" and that there is a "conscious attempt to avoid stereotyping." Teamwork: A Picture Essay about Crews and Teams at Work follows the efforts of mountain climbers, a nursing crew, a sailing crew, a film crew, and other team-based workers. As in And What Do You Do?, the women and men in Teamwork are not cast in stereotypical roles.

Ancona has also made photo essays focusing on specific jobs. Man and Mustang shows how feral horses are captured, transported, and tamed by prison inmates for the Bureau of Land Management. Stone Cutters, Carvers, and the Cathedral illuminates an esoteric and fascinating profession. With black-and-white photographs and text, Riverkeeper follows John Cronin, the riverkeeper of the Hudson River in New York, as he works to protect the water, plants, and wildlife. Ancona demonstrates that Cronin cannot fight pollution from the seat of his powerboat, named Riverkeeper; as a representative of the Hudson River Fishermen's Association, he must deal with corporate polluters and a host of government agencies to ensure the water's cleanliness. According to Mary M. Burns in Horn Book, Ancona provides a "balanced, rational presentation" that "speaks directly to our times in a manner as informative as it is appealing." Betsy Hearne of Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books concluded that Riverkeeper "will energize kids" to view its subject "in the light of ecological responsibility."

Looking forward to a satisfying career and an understanding of the world of work is just one aspect of childhood. Ancona has dealt with a variety of other childhood concerns and interests in his work. Helping Out, according to a Publishers Weekly critic, is based on a "stimulating" idea—children can help out (washing cars, planting seeds, doing chores) to the satisfaction of all. The children featured in Ancona's black-and-white pictures smile and, as the reviewer noted, "show clearly that they like what they're doing."

Children are fascinated with babies, as the nursery school teachers told Ancona in requesting a book discussing babies and how they grow. Ancona met this need by staying home to photograph the first twelve months in the life of his son Pablo. As he noted in a Junior Literary Guild article, the text of It's a Baby! "grew out of the questions children would ask" about Pablo when they saw him. This book shows the boy nursing, playing, climbing, and taking his first steps. In Horn Book, Kate M. Flanagan described Ancona's black-and-white photographs as "exquisite."

Ancona's photographs have also helped children learn to accept themselves and others by bringing life to books featuring physically challenged children and adults. Mom Can't See Me and Mom's Best Friend, both by Sally Hobart Alexander, show how a blind woman lives a fulfilling life; Finding a Way: Living with Exceptional Brothers and Sisters, by Maxine B. Rosenberg, demonstrates how children can help physically challenged siblings in a caring, positive manner. The "Handtalk" series has been especially popular. In Handtalk Zoo, with a text by Mary Beth Miller, children visit the zoo and communicate in sign language. Ancona's color photographs clearly show the signs the children make, as well as capturing hands in rapid movement. As Hanna B. Zeiger observed in Horn Book, some "photos of signs capture very clearly the essence of the animal" the children are viewing. In the words of School Library Journal contributor Susan Nemeth McCarthy, Handtalk Zoo introduces children to sign-language vocabulary in a "creative and exuberant manner."

Ancona's travels to countries around the world have provided him with alternate settings in which to explore his favorite topics: machines, working and occupations, and nature. He was inspired to write Bananas: From Manolo to Margie while visiting a Honduran village. This book demonstrates how bananas are cultivated on a Honduran plantation, picked by plantation workers, and sent on a two-week trip to a grocery store in the United States, where Margie and her mother buy some. The mostly black-and-white photos focus on the equipment used in picking and transporting bananas as well as on the people who operate it. They also feature the families of the plantation workers. The photos in Bananas are "fair: workers live poorly and work hard," as Terry Lawhead noted in School Library Journal. As Zena Sutherland observed in the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, information about the plantation workers is offered, although the text does not really discuss the "personal lives" of Margie and the transportation and marketing workers.

Turtle Watch follows the efforts of oceanographers attempting to replenish the sea turtle population in northeastern Brazil. During nesting season, both oceanographers and the people of Praia do Forte have important responsibilities. The local people, especially fishermen, must encourage one another to leave the eggs and turtles they find instead of selling them. Oceanographers must observe female turtles laying eggs, recover the eggs for safe hatching, and then, after the baby turtles emerge from their eggs, help them make their way to the ocean. According to Karey Wehner, writing in School Library Journal, in Turtle Watch "Ancona conveys some of the excitement and wonder scientists must feel when observing animals firsthand, in the field." Ancona noted in Junior Literary Guild that photographing the turtles was difficult. "We would arrive either too early or too late to see them emerge from the sea." Although it took a long time for Ancona to finally get his photos, he did not mind because "Brazil is a wonderful place to be stranded in." Ancona returned to Brazil to research and take photos for his book on the Golden Lion Tamarin monkey.

Pablo Remembers: The Fiesta of the Day of the Dead features a Mexican family as they prepare for and enjoy the festival of the Day of the Dead. Ancona wrote in SAAS: "It is a time for family reunions, meals, and an evening spent in the cemetery among flowers and candles on the decorated tombs of departed relatives." He continued: "In the streets, people parade in costume and recite satiric poems in front of their neighbors' houses." During the festival's three days (All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day), which honor the dead in a combination of Aztec and Catholic traditions, altars are decorated, children eat candy skulls, and Pablo takes time to remember his deceased grandmother. According to Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books contributor Roger Sutton, the "photography has the intimacy of high-quality family snapshots." Margaret A. Bush concluded of Pablo Remembers in Horn Book that the "beautiful book" serves as a fitting "tribute to Mexican home life."

The Piñata Maker/El piñatero also focuses on life in Mexico, but its text is written in both Spanish and English. Ancona follows Don Ricardo Nuñez Gijon—better known as Tio Rico in the village—as he carefully crafts fantastic, delightful piñatas. Ancona's photos demonstrate how Tio Rico makes a paste out of old newspapers and paper bags, and then shapes the paste into the form of a carrot, swan, star, or other figure. The next series of photos demonstrates how Daniela, a young girl, chooses a piñata for her birthday party, and how her guests crack it open and spill the candy. "Ancona has created an authentic, detailed account of one aspect of Mexican culture which has particularly wide appeal to children," wrote Maeve Visser Knoth in Horn Book. According to Ann Welton in School Library Journal, the "balance between text and illustration is masterful."

One problem Ancona had once he had created Pablo Remembers and The Piñata Maker, as he wrote in SAAS, was saying good-bye to the friends he had made. "The departure is very sad for me because these people have become part of my life and I don't know if I will ever see them again…. Someday I would like to take as much time as it would take to visit all the people I have gotten to know through my travels and books."

Ancona did not have to travel far to meet the people he photographed for Powwow. With color photographs and a thoughtful introduction, he provides what School Library Journal reviewer Lisa Mitten described as an "exquisite kaleidoscope of Native-American music, customs, and crafts." The Crow Fair in Montana provides an opportunity for people from various tribes, including the Crow, Lakota, Cheyenne, Cree, and Ojibwa, to dance traditional, fancy, grass, and jingledress dances competitively. Ancona follows the celebration as it progresses from parade to dance; he focuses his camera on the people watching the dances as well as on the dancers themselves. As Bush noted in Horn Book, in Powwow Ancona's camera records "the ironies of traditional cultural practice in the modern setting" and "conveys the universal appeal of spectacle and celebration."

Ancona returns to Mexican American themes with Fiesta U.S.A., a book dealing with four of the holidays most celebrated by Latinos in North America. Featured holidays include El Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead; Los Matachines, celebrated on New Year's Day; La Fiesta de los Reyes Magos, or Three Kings' Day; and Los Posadas, a reenactment of Mary and Joseph's hunt for accommodations in Bethlehem. Ancona takes readers to a New Mexican pueblo in Earth Daughter: Alicia of Acoma Pueblo, an "attractive photo-essay," according to Booklist critic Stephanie Zvirin. Here young Alicia, who is learning to throw pottery, introduces readers to the simple life of her small town, which dates to the Spanish conquest. Traveling farther south to the Yucatan Peninsula and his own heritage, Ancona features Mayan culture in Mayeros: A Yucatec Maya Family, with color photographs of not only people of the region, but also of their ancient artwork and temples. "Ancona ably interweaves the history of … the ancient Mayeros with the daily life of their descendants," claimed Karen Morgan in Booklist. Frances E. Millhouser, writing in School Library Journal, praised Ancona's "involving text" as well as the manner in which he "seamlessly interspersed" more factual information into the narrative of the present-day family. Millhouser concluded, "Ancona provides a unique perspective on the vibrant survival of an enduring way of life."

More Hispanic themes are served up in Fiesta Fireworks, in which Ancona follows Caren and her family of fireworks makers in Tultepec, a town near Mexico City, as they create the fireworks display for the annual festival of San Juan de Dios. Phelan found that the book "captures the excitement of a fiesta," while School Library Journal critic Selene S. Vasquez called Fiesta Fireworks "an informative tribute to an enduring Mexican tradition." Ancona deals with a year in the life of a Mexican American youth in San Francisco's Mission District in Barrio: José's Neighborhood. José strolls through this barrio and enjoys sights such as a soccer game, a colorful mural, and the traditional celebrations that mark the year. Annie Ayres, writing in Booklist, called the book "a fond and fascinating photo-essay focusing on the richness of the Latino experience." Similarly, Dina Sherman observed in School Library Journal that the "title successfully captures images of a particular place as seen through the eyes of a child." Charro: The Mexican Cowboy is set in Guadalajara, Mexico, on the day of a local rodeo, or charreada. Ancona focuses on the riding and roping skills of the cowboys who take part in the event, and his color photographs also highlight the scene, complete with mariachi bands and the fancy dress of both men and women. Helen Rosenberg, in Booklist, called Ancona's book "beautiful and informative" and predicted that it "will satisfy any reader interested in the ways of today's cowboys." A reviewer for Publishers Weekly praised Ancona's "energetic" photographs, while Ruth Semrau, writing in School Library Journal, similarly noted that "Ancona's pictures just keep getting better and better." Reviewing the book for the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Deborah Stevenson concluded that "young buckaroos who enjoy a rodeo will be intrigued by this southern alternative."

Ancona deals with themes ranging from festivals to Caribbean children to Mexican field workers in Carnaval, Cuban Kids, and Harvest. In Carnaval, he documents celebrations in the Brazilian town of Olinda in an "appealing picture-book format" with "accessible, lively text," according to Sherman. Similarly, a contributor for Hungry Mind Review noted that "full-page photographs bring all the wonder and energy of carnival to life." Paul Kelsey, writing in School Library Journal, concluded that Carnaval is "an excellent introduction in an inviting and visually pleasing format." Ancona illustrates life in Cuba through his photos of students in Cuban Kids, "a very fine portrait of modern Cuba," according to Booklist critic Denia Hester, who also praised the "well-written text." Marilyn Long Graham, writing in School Library Journal, deemed Cuban Kids "upbeat and positive." With Harvest, "Ancona puts a face on Mexican migrant workers," explained Ilene Cooper in a Booklist review. With photos and text, he shows the hard work these people do, picking produce on various West Coast farms. At the same time, the author/illustrator also introduces young readers to a wide variety of crops and to the work of labor organizer Cesar Chavez.

Ancona travels from the farm to the world of art in Murals, Walls That Sing, which focuses on prehistoric wall paintings in France, Mexican church murals, and modern graffiti in Harlem. He not only deals with the use of materials in the execution of these very public works of art, but through a combination of close-up and wide-angle shots, he lets readers see the works in relation to the architecture they adorn. Once again, Ancona's work elicited praise from reviewers. Susannah Price, writing in School Library Journal, called the title an "eye-catching book [that] just might whet the appetite of budding artists." In Booklist Gillian Engberg also felt that "the beautiful, sharp color photos and the unusual subject will attract plenty of browsers," while a Kirkus Reviews critic deemed Murals, Walls That Sing "a unique chronicle of our country's diversity and an engaging look at the connection between the arts and activism."

Ancona celebrates Mexico in the five-volume set "Viva Mexico!," whose titles include The Fiestas, The Folk Arts, The Foods, The Past, and The People. Blending clear color photos with his typical incisive text, Ancona views these various aspects of contemporary Mexican life in works that provide a "visual feast," as Booklist critic Annie Ayres commented of the series. Reviewing The Past, The Foods, and The People in School Library Journal, Coop Renner called the books "breezy and upbeat," while Mary Elam, writing in the same journal, found The Fiestas and The Folk Arts to be "beautifully illustrated volumes," that "contain a wealth of information."

Ancona turns to Latinos living in the United States in the eleven-volume "Somos Latinos" series. Each volume is told from a child's point of view and covers an aspect of daily life, including school, family, and friends. Ancona's photographs illustrate the text, sometimes supplemented with children's drawings. Ann Welton noted in School Library Journal that "from city to country life, schools to dances, Latino life is presented in its great variety."

Capoeira: Game! Dance! Martial Art! examines a martial art developed in Brazil that has become increasingly popular in the United States as well. A mixture of fighting, dance, and game, capoeira involves a series of movements set to music. Several schools of capoeira have evolved over the centuries, and Ancona explains the differences between them. His photographs show how capoeira students learn the basic moves of the sport. Alana Abbott, writing in School Library Journal, concluded: "Action-packed pictures of capoeiristas—people who play capoeira—in both the United States and Brazil make this an eye-catching title." A critic in Kirkus Reviews believed that the book was "for martialarts fans, armchair travelers and anyone who wants to view a new way of having fun."

In Self Portrait, Ancona gives a brief overview of his life and career, taking readers behind the scenes of his work as a writer and illustrator of children's books. "Kids will learn about the entire process," according to the reviewer for Children's Bookwatch.

Aspiring photographers who admire Ancona's work may enjoy My Camera, which demonstrates how to use a 35mm camera like the one Ancona uses. He describes how to compose pictures, how to use the flash, and how to put together albums, photo essays, and storyboards. Ancona also includes a diagrammatic and textual explanation of how a camera works. "Evidence of Ancona's photographic talent and teaching ability radiates from every page," remarked Nancy E. Curran in the School Library Journal.

A thorough understanding of the technical issues involved in photography is just one aspect of any photographer's success. Ancona once revealed the character trait that has stimulated his achievements: "Curiosity is the biggest element in my work…. I think people are fascinating and I love to find myself in strange places, meeting people, getting to know them, and learning about them. This helps me to learn about myself. Photographing, filming, or writing about someone or someplace is my way of feeling alive and in touch with the world around me. I believe that work does this for many people. Whether it is baking bread, building a house, driving a truck, or singing a song, people reach each other each in their own way. I think that's what living is all about." In an interview with Rosalinda B. Barrera for Language Arts, Ancona elaborated on his career in creating children's books: "If I weren't doing books, I'd probably be in school teaching. I like kids, and I love watching them develop and explore. They are a wonderful community to photograph." He further explained: "So, doing children's books keeps me in touch and I can still apply my craft, my love for imagery, and share it with others."

On his home page, Ancona noted: "It is very gratifying to be invited to speak at schools and conferences around the country and abroad. It warms my heart to see my well-worn books in classrooms and libraries. When teachers praise my books and kids run up to me to tell me my books are ‘cool,’ I figure I must be doing something right."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Ancona, George, essay in Something about the Author Autobiography Series, Volume 18, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1994.

Ancona, George, Self Portrait, Robert C. Owen (New York, NY), 2007.

St. James Guide to Children's Writers, 5th edition, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1999.

PERIODICALS

Booklist, July 1, 1976, Denise M. Wilms, review of And What Do You Do?, p. 1525; October 1, 1995, Annie Ayres, review of Fiesta U.S.A., pp. 305-306; October 15, 1995, Stephanie Zvirin, review of Earth Daughter: Alicia of Acoma Pueblo, p. 397; April 15, 1997, Karen Morgan, review of Mayeros: A Yucatec Maya Family, p. 1420; April, 1998, Carolyn Phelan, review of Fiesta Fireworks, p. 1323; September 1, 1998, Ellen Mandel, review of Let's Dance!, p. 121; December 1, 1998, Annie Ayres, review of Barrio: José's Neighborhood, p. 662; May 15, 1999, Helen Rosenberg, review of Charro: The Mexican Cowboy, p. 1689; November 15, 1999, Chris Sherman, review of Carnaval, p. 617; December 15, 2000, Denia Hester, review of Cuban Kids, p. 811; January 1, 2002, Ilene Cooper, review of Harvest, pp. 846-847; March 1, 2002, review of "Viva Mexico!" series, pp. 1121-1132; April 15, 2003, Gillian Engberg, review of Murals, Walls That Sing, p. 1467; April 15, 2007, Gillian Engberg, review of Capoeira: Game! Dance! Martial Art!, p. 45.

Black Issues Book Review, May-June, 2007, review of Capoeira, p. 30.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, January, 1983, Zena Sutherland, review of Bananas, p. 81; July-August, 1990, Betsy Hearne, review of Riverkeeper, p. 259; May, 1993, Roger Sutton, review of Powwow, p. 276; December, 1993, Roger Sutton, review of Pablo Remembers: The Fiesta of the Day of the Dead, p. 114; May, 1999, Deborah Stevenson, review of Charro, pp. 306-307.

Childhood Education, fall, 2003, Gina Hoagland, review of Murals, Walls That Sing, p. 38.

Children's Bookwatch, June, 2007, review of Self Portrait.

Horn Book, February, 1980, Kate M. Flanagan, review of It's a Baby!, p. 7; November-December, 1989, Hanna B. Zeiger, review of Handtalk Zoo, p. 775; May-June, 1990, Mary M. Burns, review of Riverkeeper, p. 345; May-June, 1993, Margaret A. Bush, review of Powwow, p. 343; March-April, 1994, Margaret A. Bush, review of Pablo Remembers, pp. 213-214; July-August, 1994, Maeve Visser Knoth, review of The Piñata Maker/El piñatero, p. 469; November-December, 1995, Elizabeth S. Watson, review of Fiesta U.S.A., pp. 728-729; May-June, 1998, Margaret A. Bush, review of Fiesta Fireworks, pp. 353-354.

Hungry Mind Review, fall, 1999, review of Carnaval, p. 34.

Junior Literary Guild, September, 1979, interview with Ancona; October, 1987-March, 1988, review of Turtle Watch, p. 25.

Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2003, review of Murals, Walls That Sing, p. 458; May 1, 2007, review of Capoeira; June 15, 2008, review of Join Hands: The Ways We Celebrate Life.

Language Arts, October, 1997, Rosalinda B. Barrera, "Profile—George Ancona: Photographer and Writer," pp. 477-481.

New York Times Book Review, January 19, 1975, John S. Radosta, review of Monsters on Wheels, p. 8.

Publishers Weekly, July 19, 1985, review of Helping Out, p. 53; June 7, 1999, review of Charro, p. 85; December 20, 1999, review of Carnaval, p. 82.

School Library Journal, September, 1976, Andy Ward, review of And What Do You Do?, p. 109; January, 1983, Terry Lawhead, review of Bananas, pp. 69-70; February, 1984, Connie Tyrrell Burns, review of Monster Movers, p. 65; October, 1987, Karey Wehner, review of Turtle Watch, p. 131; October, 1989, Susan Nemeth McCarthy, review of Handtalk Zoo, pp. 99-100; February, 1993, Nancy E. Curran, review of My Camera, p. 95; April, 1993, Lisa Mitten, review of Powwow, pp. 125-126; April, 1994, Ann Welton, review of The Piñata Maker/El piñatero, p. 116; November, 1995, Rose Zertuche Trevino, review of Fiesta U.S.A., p. 136; December, 1995, Darcy Schild, review of Earth Daughter, p. 94; June, 1997, Frances E. Millhouser, review of Mayeros, p. 105; March, 1998, Selene S. Vasquez, review of Fiesta Fireworks, p. 191; November, 1998, Kit Vaughan, review of Let's Dance!, p. 101; December, 1998, Dina Sherman, review of Barrio, p. 99; June, 1999, Ruth Semrau, review of Charro, p. 110; February, 2000, Paul Kelsey, review of Carnaval, p. 107; January, 2001, Marilyn Long Graham, review of Cuban Kids, p. 112; February, 2002, Mary Elam, reviews of The Folk Arts and The Fiestas, pp. 138-139; March, 2002, Coop Renner, reviews of The Foods, The Past, and The People. pp. 240-241; April, 2002, Louise L. Sherman, review of Harvest, p. 162; July, 2002, Francisca Goldsmith, review of Miguel Lost and Found in the Palace, p. 123; May, 2003, Susannah Price, review of Murals, Walls That Sing, p. 161; May, 2005, Ann Welton, reviews of Mi barrio/My Neighborhood, Mi casa/My House, Mi escuela/My School, Mi familia/My Family, and Mis amigos/My Friends, p. 118; February, 2006, Maria Otero-Boisvert, reviews of Mi musica/My Music, Mis abuelos/My Grandparents, Mis comidas/My Foods, Mis fiestas/My Celebrations, Mis juegos/My Games, and Mis quehaceres/My Chores, p. 126; June, 2007, Alana Abbott, review of Capoeira, p. 129.