Pat Mora - The Beautiful Lady: Our Lady of Guadalupe

THIS IS A BORZOI BOOK PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF
Text copyright 2012 by Pat Mora
Jacket art and interior illustrations copyright 2012 by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher

All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Childrens Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
Knopf, Borzoi Books, and the colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Visit us on the Web!
randomhouse.com/kids

Educators and librarians, for a variety of teaching tools, visit us at
RHTeachersLibrarians.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mora, Pat.
The beautiful lady : Our Lady of Guadalupe / by Pat Mora ; illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. 1st ed.
p. cm.
Summary: Grandma Lupita tells her granddaughter Rose and Roses friend Terry the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a miracle that occurred near Mexico City in 1531. Includes facts about the event and its influence.

ISBN 978-0-375-86838-2 (trade)
ISBN 978-0-375-96838-9 (lib. bdg.)
ISBN 978-0-449-81706-3 (ebook)

1. Guadalupe, Our Lady ofJuvenile fiction. [1. Guadalupe, Our Lady ofFiction. 2. AztecsFiction. 3. Indians of MexicoFiction. 4. MiraclesFiction. 5. MexicoHistory16th centuryFiction.] I. Johnson, Steve, ill. II. Fancher, Lou, ill. III. Title.
PZ7.M78819Be 2013
[E]dc23
2011040784

Random House Childrens Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read.

v3.1

In memory of my father, Ral Antonio Mora, who loved Our Lady of Guadalupe; and of my friend, Rose Trevio, a fine librarian and literacy advocate
P.M.

For Nick
S.J. and L.F.

Look! I did it! Terry holds up a bright red paper flower.

Gracias, Grandma Lupita, for teaching Terry to make these, I say.

I used to make flowers like this with my grandmother in Mexico, says Grandma Lupita. When wed go to the market holding hands, wed see huge paper flowersyellow, orange, and red, like those in the living room. Im so happy you girls came on this cold December day, mis queridas.

Whos that pretty lady? asks Terry. I like all the gold stars on her cloak. I like her face, too.

Thats Our Lady of Guadalupe, and today is her special day, says Grandma. Every December, Rose and I make pretty flowers to put around the statue.

And every December, Grandma Lupita tells me the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Long ago, Grandma begins, on a cold December morning near what is now Mexico City, a man named Juan Diego put on his tilma, his cloak, and started down the road to church. As he walked along, he heard lovely bird songs swirling through the air at the top of Tepeyac Hill.

Curious, Juan Diego looked up. Suddenly all the birds were silent. Juan Diego heard only the wind. Then, at the top of the hill, Juan Diego saw a shining bright light.

Grandma carefully pulls the folded paper shes holding into red petals.

Please, dont stop, says Terry. What happened?

Grandma smiles. Like morning sunlight, as if the sun had slid down to the earth, the hill glowed.

In the middle of all that soft light was a beautiful lady, says Grandma, picking up the statue. Her cloak shone with stars. She was floating on a sliver of moon. Her skin was brown and beautiful. The Lady smiled.

Juan Diego wondered, who was this lady surrounded by light?

Juan Diego, said the Lady. Her voice was like a song, like river music.

The Lady asked Juan Diego to go visit the bishop in the nearby city and ask him to build a special church for her on the hilltop. She wanted a place where people could rest and pray.

Juan Diego started down the dirt path. He was a good man and wanted to do as the Lady asked, but he didnt know the bishop, who was a very important man. When Juan Diego arrived at the palace, many people were waiting to speak to the bishop. Juan Diego stood quietly. He waited, and waited, and waited.

I dont want to disappoint the beautiful Seora, thought Juan Diego. Finally, it was his turn to say a few words to the bishop. The bishop listened. He thought. But then he said he needed a sign, proof from la hermosa Seora.

Juan Diego wished he could build the church himself. He walked home slowly. He went softly by Tepeyac Hill, hoping he wouldnt see the Lady again. He didnt want to tell her that the bishop was not ready to build her a church.

Juanito, called the Lady. Juan Diego looked up and saw the beautiful Lady. Rays of light shone behind her.

Then Juan Diego looked down sadly. Ay, Seora, I feel embarrassed, he said. The bishop asked for a sign from you. Maybe you should ask a rich and important person to talk to the bishop. I am a poor man and have no influence.

The kind Lady smiled. Juanito, she said, you are a good man. I want you to go speak to the bishop again and ask him to build my church. Here. On this hill.

The next morning, Juan Diego again put on his tilma and went to see the bishop. He waited, and waited, and waited. He wanted to make the kind and beautiful Seora happy. Finally, it was his turn.