A nostalgic and uplifting story of one family’s experience in two cultures.
A Cuban American girl conjures happy visions of her heritage in this illustrated, bilingual book by author Spitzer and illustrator de Carvalho.
On the eve of her quinceañera, or 15th birthday celebration, the narrator thinks about the tree her abuela (grandmother) planted from a seed after immigrating to the United States from Cuba. That tree, now grown tall, represents hopes and dreams. Inspired by her love for her family, the narrator imagines a wishing tree that could conjure physical manifestations of their most precious memories: summer carnavales, beloved foods, Spanish movies, and the smell of the ocean. As she and her family celebrate under her abuela’s tree, the narrator realizes that all people’s lives are grounded by cultural roots and enriched by migratory seeds. The same story is told in both English and Spanish, and the layout incorporates both sets of text without cluttering or obscuring the full-color, painterly illustrations. Interestingly, de Carvalho’s art style presents children as particularly undersized; as a result, the narrator and her sister appear to be about 10 years younger than they are. Although this may be momentarily confusing, this visual encapsulation of childhood is consistent with the book’s halcyon theme. De Carvalho expresses the remembered joy of Cuban culture with vibrant and colorful images that always match the mood of the text; the most somber palette comes with mention of the narrator’s abuela’s life of hard work. The writing has a poetic tone (“The island flavors fill the air, enticing our senses as we dance and laugh together”), and though it’s quite wordy for independent readers, it’s soothing rather than overwhelming. Young children—particularly lap readers—will experience comfort and a sense of wonder.
A nostalgic and uplifting story of one family’s experience in two cultures.Pub Date: May 9, 2023
ISBN: 9781958615034
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Con Todo Press
Review Posted Online: May 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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