Alma and How She Got Her Name & Doña Francisca Vicenta Chollet y Caballero
Alma and How She Got Her Name, written and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal and Francisco de Goya y Lucientes (Spanish, 1746–1828), Doña Francisca Vicenta Chollet y Caballero, 1806, oil on canvas, Norton Simon Art Foundation
Featured Book: Alma and How She Got Her Name, written and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
Featured Book: Doña Francisca Vicenta Chollet y Caballero (1806), by Francisco de Goya y Lucientes
In Alma and How She Got Her Name, a little girl named Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela is concerned by the length of her name and asks her dad how she ended up with six names. He shares the special meanings behind each of her names, which connect her to her family history, but explains that “Alma” belongs only to her.
In Doña Francisca Vicenta Chollet y Caballero, the artist Francisco de Goya y Lucientes (Spanish, 1746–1828) depicts a member of Spanish nobility whose name came from her parents, Francisco Chollet and María Antonia Caballero. In the portrait, Goya shows her sitting in an embroidered silk gown with a sparkly tiara in her hair. Her fancifully-accessorized dog rests in her lap.
Inspired by these works, create an artwork that expresses the special meaning behind your name.
If you don’t have access to the featured book, select something similar from your child’s book shelf or your local library. Many of the books are also available as read-aloud videos online.