Maria and the Lost Calf – An Award Winner Children’s Book
Portuguese Heritage Publications of California proudly announces that the release of its first children’s book – Maria and the Lost Calf, by Kate Morejohn and illustrated by Dwight Morejohn, has received first place “Award Winning Author” in the best overall category of “Best Latino Focused Children’s Picture Book – English” and in category “Best Children’s Picture Book in Portuguese (Originally in another language)”. This recognition was awarded at the 2015 International Latino Book Awards event.
Written in both English and Portuguese, Maria and the Lost Calf takes place in the Marin headlands at the turn of last century, beautifully telling the story of a young Portuguese farmer’s daughter, sweet Maria, who loses her favorite calf.
The first children’s book to feature Portuguese-speaking immigrants in California, Maria and the Lost Calf is a frolicking foray into the main character’s heritage, family, culture, the California dairy industry and Holy Ghost festas. In the book, little Maria also reminiscences about her family and friends back home in the Azores, and the long and hazardous ship voyage to California.
In full color and hard cover, the book features bilingual text and is lovingly illustrated with the original watercolors by Dwight Morejohn.
Maria and the Lost Calf is the ideal gift for every child in your family and circle of friends. Enrich a kid’s life by gifting this beautiful book. It is also a history lesson, recommended by both teachers and librarians, and for both children and adult Portuguese language curriculum, as an educational tool about important Portuguese immigrantion to California.
Order your copy today by visiting our website at www.PortugueseBooks.Org . For just $15 plus taxes and shipping, retail and $10 per copy for wholesale orders of 5 copies or more). You may also place you order by calling 408-272-1222 or mailing your check in the amount of $18.50, payable to PHPC, P.O.Box, San Jose, California 95152
Portuguese Heritage Publications of California, Inc. is a non-profit organization 501 c (3), created to research, preserve and disseminate for educational purposes, vanishing memories and current relevant events about the Portuguese presence in California.
Maria and the Lost Calf was funded by a generous donation from the Luso-American Development Foundation.
Children’s Book Maria and the Lost Calf
Maria travels to New Bedford Whaling Museum. We are excited that our book, Maria and the Lost Calf, Maria e a Bezerrinha Perdida, by Kate Morejohn and illustrated by Dwight Morejohn, is being sold at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, in New Bedford, Massachusetts. http://www.whalingmuseum.org/
To get an idea of the importance of Portuguese and Azorean whalers, Don Warrin’s So Ends this Day is one of the best written sources for Portuguese-American whaling to date.
Nathaniel Philbrick, author of In the Heart of the Sea: the Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, commenting on Warrin’s book: “For far too long the Portuguese contribution to American whaling has been relegated to the sidelines of history this meticulously researched and well-written study puts the emphasis where rightly belongs.” Many thanks to the Museum for featuring our book!
Maria and the Lost Calf, Maria e a Bezerrinha Perdida, is also available at:
https://portuguesebooks.org/books/maria-and-the-lost-calf-maria-e-a-bezerrinha-perdida/
Children’s Book: “Maria and the Lost Calf”
If you visit Northern California, try to include a trip to the Marin headlands, and West Marin, and the Point Reyes area in your visit.
It will certainly be a beautiful and worthwhile visit, and will give you an idea of why many Azorean immigrants settled there, and worked on dairy farms.
The climate and landscape, and proximity to the sea is very like the Azorean Islands. I think the immigrants who came must have had tugs on their hearts, seeing such a familiar landscape.
There are Visitor Centers at the Headlands, hiking trails, and you can drive to some beaches. And as you are there, maybe on a lonely, foggy trail, think of Maria (from my book Maria and the Lost Calf), and how she loved living there on their dairy farm.
To see more details about this wonderful bilingual children’s book, please visit: https://portuguesebooks.org/books/maria-and-the-lost-calf-maria-e-a-bezerrinha-perdida/
The author,
Kate Morejohn
What Readers are saying about “Maria and the Lost Calf”
“This story brings me to tears as I read it to my children. The paintings are majestic. The story is full of emotion and the beautiful heritage of Portuguese culture that Maria is blessed to enjoy. Thank you so much for writing this book!”
— Kitano
“Received the book today and couldn’t wait to read it! Such a precious story, well written and illustrated!!!Very talented couple whom I’m so happy to have gotten to know!!! Hope a lot of copies are purchased!! Good luck!”
— Kim
“Hi, It seems a really wonderful the book, I have a sister living in Azores and also my ancestors were from there. The funny thing is that although I don’t know California I always loved to hear stories from Portuguese who went there to live centuries ago and I even thought (I have a degree in Cinema) of directing a documentary about it. So you have two places I love in your book 🙂 I hope to purchase it soon! I’m sure it will inspire me!”
Best wishes.
— Rita
I am so excited! I got my book today. I must say, I was so psyched to buy it, I didn’t know it was a hardcover. That was a nice surprise. Beautifully illustrated, all the paintings portray a mood and emotion in the story. Love how all the pages are in two languages. The story is a sweet story that gives a great background to one of the many reasons I love the United States, we truly are a “melting pot” and love stories that show this.
When school starts back, I will donate it to the school I work at as a gift. I never hesitate at the opportunity to give to the creative community, and giving the children something unique to read. It’s stories like this that teach our children, home really is where the heart is. Thanks Kate and Dwight!
– Jenni
High praise for Maria and the Lost Calf! Raising children in CA makes this book dear to my heart. It’s full of rich history and a deep appreciation for a family’s farm life. This sweet book exudes love and is sure to be a classic.
– Amy
The watercolors are incredible and as gentile as the warm story they illustrate. The love and reassurance of our father and his protective eye guides us through even our
most fearful moments. Thank you Kate and Dwight for this moving tale!
– Kate
Maria and the Lost Calf, is a children’ s book written by Kate Morejohn, illustrated by Dwight Morejohn and published by Portuguese Heritage Publications of California, an all volunteer, non profit 501 c (3), community publisher created to research, preserve and disseminate for educational purposes, vanishing memories and current relevant events about the Portuguese presence in California.
Maria and the Lost Calf
This delightful children’s story, beautifully illustrated, with original watercolors takes place in the California Marin headlands at the turn of the last century. It tells the story of a young farmer’s daughter, Maria, whose favorite calf wanders away from her parent’s dairy farm the night before the Holy Ghost Festa, and Maria becomes lost herself looking for the calf. During her overnight escapade, Maria reminiscences about her home country in the Azores, the family and friends left behind, and her long and hazardous ocean crossing from the Azores to California.
This first children’s book from Portuguese Heritage Publications of California, with text in both English and Portuguese – provides a vivid account of the historic presence of the Portuguese-Azorean dairy farmers in Southern and Western Marine County.
This book is appropriate for children ages 2 to 12, both as a redo-to, and as an early primer in both English and Portuguese. Maria and the Lost Calf is the ideal gift for your children, grand-children and other young members of your family.
The author and illustrator (wife and husband) are native Californians and were raised on ranches.
For more details about this beautiful children’s book, or to purchase it, please visit the following link: https://portuguesebooks.org/books/maria-and-the-lost-calf-maria-e-a-bezerrinha-perdida/
To browse all our books, please visit: https://portuguesebooks.org/
Portuguese Heritage Publications of California, Inc. is a non-profit organization, created to research, preserve and disseminate for educational purposes, vanishing memories and current relevant events about the Portuguese presence in California.