Tomás and the Library Lady

Curriculum Connections

Leadership and responsibility, communication and language arts, literature based, immigration & state history.

Common Core Standards, Social Studies

3.S1.C7.PO2 Describe the experiences (e.g., new language, customs, opportunities, hardships) in immigrants’ lives after settling in the United States.

Creative Team

Book, Music and Lyrics by José Cruz González
Music Arranged and Performed by Adam Jacobson
Adapted from the book Tomás and the Library Lady by Pat Mora
Produced by Childsplay

A Gallo Center Student Matinee favorite, Childsplay returns with this beloved story! Tomás loves stories. As the young son of migrant farm workers, he spends the summer with his family following the crops north from Texas to Iowa, passing long days in the fields listening to his grandfather tell stories. Before long, Tomás knows all of Papa Grande’s tales by heart... When a chance encounter brings him to the local Carnegie Library, he meets the “Library Lady” who recognizes his thirst for knowledge and encourages him to read. His delight in books is equaled by his pride in teaching Spanish to the Library Lady, trading knowledge and respect between generations and cultures. By the end of the summer, Tomás has great pride in becoming his family’s new storyteller, the guidance of a colorful mentor, and a lifelong love of reading.

A bilingual musical based on the beloved book about the true story of the Mexican-American author and educator Tomás Rivera, who became the first minority Chancellor in the University of California system. This inspirational production shows how reading and education — and self esteem — can make anything possible.