Promise and Peril: The Gendered Implications of Pat Mora's Pablo's Tree and Ana Castillo's My Daughter, My Son, the Eagle, the Dove

This essay explores the gendered implications of Pat Mora's picture book, Pablo's Tree (1994), and Ana Castillo's illustrated chant, My Daughter, My Son, the Eagle, the Dove (2000). By drawing attention to the critical accomplishments as well as the critical shortcomings of the two works, the essay illustrates not only the fact that the deconstruction of patriarchal gender configurations in and through children's literature is a work in progress, but that the work that is in progress is driven by a vibrancy that continues to yield intriguing innovations.