Illuminates the significance of the humble plátano with delicious detail.
Good stories and mouthwatering food go hand in hand in this heartwarming tale about a Dominican family.
Yesenia, a child with brown skin and curly brown hair, helps Mami prepare food in the kitchen and asks, “Why do Dominicans love plátanos so much?” Mami explains that plátanos, also called plantains, help their family feel connected to their homeland and to each other. Yesenia points out that “plátanos are like a love letter from the Dominican Republic,” where Mami lived before Yesenia was born. Yesenia describes the different plátano-based dishes, both sweet and savory, that the family enjoys together. From maduros to tostones to mangú, Yesenia takes readers on a sensory and culinary journey, describing the feelings that these foods elicit. Yesenia recalls feeling comforted by a sweet plátano treat after a misstep at school. Older brother Kendry insists that plátanos are responsible for baseball successes by his favorite Dominican players. And plátanos make Yesenia think of the love poems Papi recites to Mami. Narrated by Yesenia in the first person, the text brims with child appeal. Bright, inviting illustrations welcome readers into the warm embrace of family and food. The back cover of the book includes a tasty recipe for mangú de plátano (mashed plantains) so that readers can enjoy their own plátanos. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Illuminates the significance of the humble plátano with delicious detail. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-06-306751-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
This warm family story is a splendid showcase for the combined talents of Medina, a Pura Belpré award winner, and Dominguez,...
Abuela is coming to stay with Mia and her parents. But how will they communicate if Mia speaks little Spanish and Abuela, little English? Could it be that a parrot named Mango is the solution?
The measured, evocative text describes how Mia’s español is not good enough to tell Abuela the things a grandmother should know. And Abuela’s English is too poquito to tell Mia all the stories a granddaughter wants to hear. Mia sets out to teach her Abuela English. A red feather Abuela has brought with her to remind her of a wild parrot that roosted in her mango trees back home gives Mia an idea. She and her mother buy a parrot they name Mango. And as Abuela and Mia teach Mango, and each other, to speak both Spanish and English, their “mouths [fill] with things to say.” The accompanying illustrations are charmingly executed in ink, gouache, and marker, “with a sprinkling of digital magic.” They depict a cheery urban neighborhood and a comfortable, small apartment. Readers from multigenerational immigrant families will recognize the all-too-familiar language barrier. They will also cheer for the warm and loving relationship between Abuela and Mia, which is evident in both text and illustrations even as the characters struggle to understand each other. A Spanish-language edition, Mango, Abuela, y yo, gracefully translated by Teresa Mlawer, publishes simultaneously.
This warm family story is a splendid showcase for the combined talents of Medina, a Pura Belpré award winner, and Dominguez, an honoree. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6900-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
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