Grandpa's Short-Handled Hoe. El azadón de mango corto del Abuelito. By Denis O'Leary.

This is a Spanish/English bilingual, illustrated, children's biography of  one the labor struggle and triumph of César Chávez in the fields of California.  In life, César brought many positive changes to many lives and even today his memory continues to inspire young and old alike. 

This is a story of the impact of the short hoe on farm workers and how it affected their families. Many elder farm workers can remember the harsh working conditions in the fields before César E. Chávez, Dolores Huerta and the U.F.W. brought about many improvements in the sixties and seventies. One of the worst experiences for workers was the use of the short handled hoe. Many disabilities and pains can still be directly connected to bending or stooping down to weed the fields with the short handled hoe.

Denis O’Leary has been an educator for nearly three decades and long served in civil rights organizations as well has been an elected school Trustee for sixteen of those years.  Denis O’Leary has authored fascinating books that reflect respect for diverse Latin American cultures such as Alba Walking in the Shadows, Esteban’s Caravan, children’s books about César Chávez and Grandpa’s Short Handled Hoe. Mr. O’Leary’s illustrations  and story is a tribute to César Chávez, the labor leader and founder of the United Farmworkers’ Union.