Abuela

by Arthur Dorros, Elisa Kleven (Illustrator)

A young girl and her grandmother celebrate their home and relationship in this magical story. Winner of the  Parents' Choice  Award!

Come join Rosalba and her grandmother, her abuela, on a magical journey as they fly over the streets, sights, and people of New York City which sparkles below. The story is narrated in English, and sprinkled with Spanish phrases as Abuela points out places that they explore together. The exhilaration in Rosalba’s and Abuela's story is magnified by the loving bond that only a grandmother and granddaughter can share.

Also available in a Spanish-language edition (ISBN: 978-0-14-056226-2)

"A book to set any child dreaming...any reader can handle it, whether familiar with Spanish or not. It's just joyful."- The New York Times

* "A marvelous balancing of narrative simplicity with visual intricacy...the city is transformed into a treasure trove of jewels, dazzling the eye, uplifting the spirits."– The Horn Book (starred review) 

* "Each illustration is a masterpiece of color, line, and form that will mesmerize youngsters...The smooth text, interspersed with Spanish words and phrases, provides ample context clues...a jewel."– Booklist (starred review)

"Dorros's text seamlessly weaves Spanish words and phrases into the English narrative, retaining a dramatic quality rarely found in bilingual picture books"— Publisher's Weekly  



An ALA Notable Book
An NCSS-CBC Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies
A Library of Congress Children's Book of the Year
An American Booksellers Pick of the Lists selection
A Booklist Editor's Choice
A Horn Book Fanfare Listing
Winner of the Parent's Choice Award
A Hungry Mind Review Children's Books of Distinction List selection
A New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing selection

Genres: Picture Books, Cultural, Family, Childrens, Spanish Literature, Fiction, Latinx

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book at a thrift store the other day, and as soon as I saw it a memory was triggered: my own Abuela (aka Grammie) would read stacks of books to us grandchildren and this was one of them. I had forgotten all about it! I didn't buy it, but it was nice to glance through it and have some good memories. It is a story about a little girl and her Abuela (grandmother) who end up flying over the city. It swaps between English and Spanish in their conversation, so you can learn some Spanish as you read. It feels poetic and the illustrations are bright and happy!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic illustrations and a wonderful story about a little girl's day with her grandma. I actually read this one in Spanish, hooray!

[PeachyTO · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abuela is flying high above New York City with her granddaughter Rosalba in this richly detailed and colourful story.

Magic is suffused with history, culture, and devotion to family as we follow this beloved pair along their journey. Readers are treated to a mix of English and intuitive Spanish, making this a super choice for teaching little ones the family language, and who better to learn with than Abuela?

To see the rest of the books on the Top 5 Picture Books about Grandmas, please visit my blog post at Peachy Books here.

[Westminster Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mientras estaba en el autobus con su abuela, una pequeña niña imagina que son cargadas hasta el cielo y vuelan sobre la vista de la ciudad de New York. El libro subraya la importancia de los lazos familiares y el poder de la imaginación de los niños.

El libro Abuela está disponible en la biblioteca pública de Westminster.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little girl and her grandmother discover a world above Manhattan as they soar over the city to her joyful imagination. Illustrations in a mixed media collage of water colors, pastels, inks, and cut paper burst with color, action, and details. It is a city alive with tantos pájaros, dogs, cats, and people. Written in English and sprinkled with Spanish, translations are even provided at the end. What a creative treasure for a child to explore. 5 delightful stars.

[One Code 431 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The thing is i don't speak Spanish at all but i didn't need to the picture was just enough to get the message for me. The pic's were so big and so beautiful that i knew what was happening without reading it . i loved it sooo beautiful pictures every page has a picture on it and the picture take most of the pages and it's very helpful when you don't understand a single word.

[Bonnieyayaleyyy · Rating 4 out of 5]

　　While riding on a bus with her grandmother, a little girl imagines that they are carried up into the sky and fly over the sights of New York City.Flying around Manhattan Island, somersaulting in midair, resting in the sky on a chair-shaped cloud.. Rosalba and her grandmother, her abuela, are having an extraordinary adventure. How do they manage this exhilirating travel that started in the park? On Rosalba's marvelous imagination.While riding on a bus with her grandmother, a little girl imagines that they are carried up into the sky and fly over the sights of New York City.An innovative fantasy narrated by a Hispanic-American child who imagines she's rising into the air over the park and flying away with her loving, rosy-cheeked abuela (grandmother). From the air, they see Manhattan streets, docks, an airport, tourist attractions, and Rosalba's father's office. The simple text could be enjoyed as a read-aloud or as a read-alone for newly independent readers. What makes the book so interesting is Dorros's integration of Spanish words and phrases via Abuela's dialogue within the English text. While some phrases are translated by the child, others will be understood in context. As insurance, a glossary, which provides definitions and pronunciations, is appended. The illustrations sing out a celebration of the love and joy that underlies the brief, straightforward narrative. Combining vibrant watercolor and pastel images with interesting snippets of collage in an exuberant folk-art style, Kleven depicts the adventurous, warm-hearted Abuela and the jazzy, colorful topography of an energetic, multiethnic city. Thoughtful design extends to the endpapers featuring cloud formations that cleverly echo many images from the story. While not bilingual in the strictest sense, this book is a less self-conscious, more artfully natural approach to multicultural material.In this tasty trip, Rosalba is ``always going places'' with her grandmother--abuela . During one of their bird-feeding outings to the park, Rosalba wonders aloud, ``What if I could fly?'' Thus begins an excursion through the girl's imagination as she soars high above the tall buildings and buses of Manhattan, over the docks and around the Statue of Liberty with Abuela in tow. Each stop of the glorious journey evokes a vivid memory for Rosalba's grandmother and reveals a new glimpse of the woman's colorful ethnic origins. Rosalba's language is simple and melodic, suggesting the graceful images of flight found on each page. Kleven's ( Ernst ) mixed-media collages are vibrantly hued and intricately detailed, the various blended textures reminiscent of folk art forms.
　　I think children's imagination is very important, because imagination is the most active factor of innovation ability, the children will become more creative as long as they are imaginative.

[Jenna Dillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: While riding on a bus through Manhattan with her grandmother, a little girl imagines that they are carried up into the sky and fly over the sights of New York City, in an evocative study of the loving bond between child and grandparent.
Genre: fantasy, adventure, fiction
Reading Level: This book is best for early fluent readers. There are many words, and often paragraphs on each page. The irregular and different spelling patterns of several of the words on each page make this book a fluent one because it is difficult. There is unfamiliar language and concepts in this book for children who do not know Spanish.
Topic: spending time with elders, learning valuable information from grandparents, going on adventures using imagination
Curriculum Uses: This book could be used for a read aloud to support a lesson on ethnic identities or a short lesson on Spanish. I would also use this as a guided reading book for a group based on reading several languages in books. Independent and shared reading would also be possibilities with this book.
Literary Elements: The elements present in this book are exposition, conflict, climax, a protagonist, and a resolution.
Social Issues: immigration
Illustrations and Text: The illustrations in this book are a little overwhelming and take over the text in the book. The pictures have too many colors and are too flourished for young readers. They distract the reader's attention away from the most important part of the book.

[Janice Coney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Text-to-World Connection

Whenever a school has grandparent's day, this would be the best book to read, to get the student's minds running about things they love to do with them and what they love about their grandparents. This book also can be used to connect the students with how others view their time with their grandparents especially those from a different culture. This book helps to show even though people come from different cultures children still want to spend time with their grandparent. The main character is having an outing with her grandmother who is from Spain and speaks very little English. So an interesting thing in the book is they have the grandmother speaking Spanish. It provides a moment to have the Hispanic students to help the class with the pronunciation of the different phrase.

As an activity, the students could write a paper on a significant outing with their grandparent. After finishing their papers have the students to work in small groups discussing their papers. Then have an open classroom discussion, jotting down what they have learned from one another. The list should point out the things that were alike and the things that were different. The day before the students' grandparents come in for lunch have the students to write a thank you letter, to their grandparents, expressing how they appreciate them. The last thing to have the children do would be to ask their grandparent to try a new venture, one learned from a classmate.

[Tami Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

K-4th Grade (Read aloud or silent reading)
Kleven did an amazing job when illustrating “Abuela”, she used bright colors and precise detail in all of the facets of the book. I was intrigued by the unique use of patterns throughout the book, from the pattern of Abuela’s skirt to the wings of the birds in the park. The way Dorros incorporated the use of Spanish in this book was creative; the story can be used as a tool to teach some Spanish words in a fun and momentous way. I believe children will be able to relate to the main character through her relationship with her grandmother the inspired adventure they share. I feel the use of Spanish words would also be appealing to all ethnic groups of children; for those who do not know Spanish, they may like learning something new and for those who hear Spanish spoke in other areas of their lives, they may feel a sense of pride in hearing familiar words in a place that the language is usually not spoken. Using culturally diverse literature in a classroom is important, this is defiantly one I would have available to my students.
Social Studies/Language Arts
Lesson Plan Idea: Study and research the places mentioned in the book, like the Statue of Liberty and Mexico.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little girl imagines what New York City would look like if she were to fly above the city with her spanish speaking grandmother. There are spanish words and phrases found throughout the book.

Themes: family, immigration, love, New York City
Awards: ALA Notable Children's Book, Parent's Choice Gold Award, National Council for Social Studies. All awards were awarded in 1991
Publication date: 1991
Grades: K-2

Classroom uses:

Students could draw their own family trees and list family names in both English and Spanish (ex. brother -hermano, sister -hermana). They could used an online translator to look up words.

Have students imagine they are flying over their city or neighborhood and draw what they would see. They could write a paragraph to go along with it.

Find non fiction books about about the Statue of Liberty in the library. Share facts they learn about the Statue of Liberty.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a lot of bright colors and different textures and details in the book to make the illustrations vibrant, playful, and interesting. The book is about an abuela (grandma) and her granddaughter who explore and fly around the city together. The mix of Spanish and English as her grandmother speaks Spanish and she speaks English highlights the author's value of two cultures and two languages. This book would be great to talk about multiculturalism, multilingualism, imagination, city life, and family. The text is simple and the illustrations bring the story to life.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abuela / Arthur Dorros / 1991
Genre: fiction
Format: picture book
Plot Summary: While riding on a bus with her grandmother, a little girl imagines that they are carried up into the sky and fly over the sights of New York City
Considerations: no red flags
Review Citation: Abbot, Deborah. Books for Youth. Book List. Oct 15, 1991.
Selection Source: Novelist
Recommended age: 5-8

[sylas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun art. About a kiddo who adventures with her abuela in NYC.

[Deborah Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is really cute. I love the story of her spending time with her grandmother and them going to the park, then imagining a whole adventure. I love that the grandmother speaks Spanish and the girl translates. I love that is an imaginative fantasy story, but subtly introduces another language and culture.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I selected this book from the library because it was about "Abuelo"...but I didn't think about it being written completely in Spanish. Although I'm not fluent in Spanish, it was a good refresher & the illustrations are beautiful & easily show the story of the girl's adventure with her grandmother.

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

We were sent this book by the generous Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library years ago and it is a treasure!! The illustrations are vivid and marvelous as child and grandmother feed the birds then magically swoop like birds themselves. Whimsical and delightful. Highly recommend.

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the diversity in this book and how the book has words in English and Spanish. I also love the girl imagination and details of the places they go.

[Javon Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We could fly to las nubes, the clouds.
One looks like a cat, un gato.
One looks like a bear, un oso.
One looks like a chair, uno silla."

The fictional story Abuela unites English and Spanish language in a clear portrayal of a grandmother and her granddaughters relationship and what it would be like if together they could fly above New York City. This would be a great book to support diversity within the classroom and teach students simple Spanish. The story does a great job of defining all Spanish words for all readers to understand and enjoy. Additionally, the illustrations throughout the story are remarkably vivid and detailed. There is much to learn about city life from the illustrations alone including the statue of liberty, taxi cabs, crowded streets, city parks and more! Arthor Dorros did a great job of weaving honor and heritage throughout this modern day adventure.

I envision reading this book to first - third grade students. This book was recommended to me by a friend who is from El Salvador and loved reading this book as a young child.

[Brandee · Rating 4 out of 5]

From 1991! This book brings in Spanish and English- the mix of cultures and languages. So much more has come together over the years. It seems as if this book was a bit ahead of its time. 😊

[Jolyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really sweet story about a girl flying through the sky and seeing her culture with her abuela. I liked how it had Spanish sprinkled in the whole story; it gave it an authentic feel to it, and I was very happy for the pronunciation guide in the back. The pictures were rich and vivid, and I really enjoyed this story.

[Aquiles Voy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book is available in English and Spanish. In both cases they're bilingual, because in the English version, primarily in English, there are words and phrases that the grandmother says that become clear in English text what they mean, so no matter who reads them, they are exposed to read both languages which I think is important, to begin building comfort around multilingualism. Students are totally exposed to both languages and they may even pick up a couple of words. The illustrations are particularly colorful and artistic. The characters live in a urban center in New York city and the abuela or grandmother is from another undefined country, but it is clear that she came later in life, from a Latin American country. Basically she takes her grandchild Rosalba in adventures, apparently imaginary ones, which this one book is about. In this case they go to Central Park and they fly over, as Rosalba likes to imagine this. All her actions are based in the "I would" form, so everything in the book happens in the conditional verbal time: "If I could fly I would go, I would see, I would do...".
While they fly over town, they have discussions about what they see, so they fly over the warehouse owned by their relatives, where they work, so they get to say hi and have a refreshment. They also fly over the docks where another male cousin works loading and unloading fruits that come from somewhere in the Caribbean. Or to the airport, where the grandma talks about her arrival to this country or over the Statue of Liberty which she really loves so it depicts some kind of embrace to the new country, so it mostly talks about how subjects overcome differenciation and assimilate into a new culture without leaving aside the original one. They fly over Rosalba's father office downtown where he is sitting on his desk, so it shows an arrange of occupations in the Latino populations working in different fields, both blue and white collar settings.
It talks about multi-generational households and the nice realtionships between the elder and young and how experience and how wisdom and experience is passed between generations, very typical in Latin cultures.
They take advantage of the city while they have fun and learn cool things about themselves and their family. It depicts their foods, occupations, relations and perhaps it can be perceived as the theme of material wealth and how it is exploited and enjoyed, maybe another aspect related to this element is the fact that her relatives have worked enough to be able to own properties, which contributes to economic stability and safe work. Another major element of this book is the visual stuff, like the clothing, colorful and typical, there are tons of details, like woven into the buidings,birds, a lot of technique. It's very celebratory; the grandmother's perspectives are totally interrelated with her grandaughter's and this intergenerational complement is well depicted in both, the text and imagery. Perceptions about immigration and new beginings are used to imply transformation with potential good future implications. It supports the funding and support of community infraestructures in the way the grandmother shows her pride of her place of origin but she is also clearly glad to be in the United States. More than inequities, this book explores the opportunities that individuals have to become their fullest selves.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much to love about this book.

First of all, I love this ode to Hispanic/Latinx heritage. The author's inclusion of Spanish phrases gave me the feeling of what it must be like growing up in a household with an Abuela who really only speaks Spanish. A child would catch onto the small words and phrases at first (especially when they're steeped in the American "English-only" culture). I feel wrapped in a genuine experience.

The book has overtones of the immigrant experience, an emphasis on the diversity within large urban cities (physical ability, race and ethnicity, religion, body shape and size, interracial, age), and the normalization of the public transit system (which is for EVERYONE). These are all things that I want children to be exposed to, understanding of, and even able to connect their own experiences to those in the book.

I also loved that there was a special homage to tradition and a love for family. In today's society, there still seems to be this stigma that folks of color are lazy in their parenting or simply don't care about their children in the same ways that parents of the dominant culture do. And that's just complete bogus. I love that there were so many different kinds of families and people on each page that push back on that stigma. Fathers care about their children. Grandparents care about their children. Black folks care about their children. Asian folks care about their children. The dominant culture isn't somehow morally superior in the way they raise and care about their children.

If you're not sure why this book is SO important for children, here are some guiding questions to help you think about the message the author is sending:

When they're on the bus on the way to the park, did you notice the language the newspaper was in? The gender ambiguous person reading the newspaper? Did you notice what the Asian woman was carrying?

Did you notice that when they're looking at the birds, there is even diversity in the species? Just how many colors are used to express the genetic variation? How this helps children make sense of species and population variation?

Did you notice when they're in the park, there are a variety of ways that the children are growing and learning? Physically, mentally, emotionally? That growth in these areas don't look the same for every single person?

When they are flying through the city, I encourage you to look at every single person on that page. What kind of diverse bodies do you see? Have you looked for: Age? Clothing choice as an expression of culture? Complexion intensity? Means of commuting? Friendships/relationships between people?

With the scene where the ship is docked, why might the author want to share that people are unloading fruits?

I could keep going, but you get the point. And if you still aren't sure, the author is trying to show the diversity of the human experience. They are trying to show the reader that humanity looking like, doing, seeing, being like this is the norm. We should embrace and cherish that norm.

[Allison]

Summary:
The story of Abuela, is about a young girl named Rosalba who boards a bus with her grandmother, her Abuela. The young girl speaks about how her grandmother’s first language is Spanish, and how her grandmother immigrated to the United States. While Rosalba and her grandmother are spending time together in a park, Rosalba imagines what it would be like if she could fly. Throughout the story Rosalba and Abuela go on a journey across New York City, soaring high into the sky, while stopping at various places that Abuela finds dear to her culture and heart. The two enjoy their time together, through this unforgettable journey, and the story allows its audience members to learn various Spanish phrases and words along the story line.
Evaluation:
Personally, I found this story to be a well-rounded multi-cultural text. Students are given the opportunity to learn new Spanish words, while reading this particular story. The story beautifully illustrates the culture that encompasses a Hispanic heritage. I feel as if young readers, specifically Kindergarten through Second grade would enjoy this particular read-aloud. Students are able to witness some of the traditions and cultures that Abuela and her granddaughter participate in as well. I also appreciated how the story, says certain words in Spanish, as well as English to help
Teaching Idea:
An instructor could use this particular text to teach the concept of creating predictions, using illustrations within a story. I would use this beautifully illustrated multi-cultural text, to teach students of the importance of always looking at the images within a story, to help us gain a greater understanding of what may happen next. The instructor could pause on certain pages within the text, to ask students what they can predict will happen next in the story, based upon the images being shown and the text. Students will be provided the necessary prompting to assist them during this task. An instructor could also take this time to have an interactive read-aloud, and discuss the various Spanish vocabulary words within the text as well. Students could practice saying each of the words as well.

[Marissa Lazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a super sweet book of a young girl and her grandmother, her abuela. They take the bus and go on adventures around the city. The young girl states that her grandmother only speaks Spanish, because that's what the people spoke in the country she lived in before coming to America. The two go to the park, and the young girl imagines that she could fly like a bird, and her and her grandmother go on adventures all around the city. They fly past all the tall office buildings and say hello to the young girls father. They stop at the store that is owned by the young girls aunt and uncle and have a glass of lemonade. They even fly among the clouds, pointing out what the different ones looked like, and then they stopped and rested in their cloud chair in their cloud house. What made this book even more enjoyable than the grandmothers love for her granddaughter and their adventures was that some of the words were written in Spanish. This book would be perfect for a read aloud to students who are in a language immersion program, or with students who are native Spanish speakers. If the young girl said something in Spanish, it was followed with her saying the same statement in English, but when the grandmother said something in Spanish it was typically followed by the young girl agreeing with the grandmother, allowing us to make an inference of what the grandmother was saying. For students in a language immersion program, the glossary located at the end of the book is perfect for introducing new vocabulary. The illustrations were very fun and full of colors. The illustrator did a wonderful job depicting all of the adventures that the young girl and her grandmother went on each afternoon. My favorite part of the illustration was the very first one when the two were getting onto the bus. Through the bus window you are able to see a man wearing a yamaka which shows that the city that the young girl lives in is full of diverse people, which would be a perfect starting point for discussing diversity in the town students live in, and even in their own classes.

[Tiana Valentin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abuela is a story about a young Latinx girl, named Rosalba, and her grandmother who love going on adventures. One day while at the park, Rosalba's mind wanders off onto all the places her and her grandmother could visit and the things they would see if they could fly with the birds. Rosalba would go see the land where her abuela grew up, experience the cultural foods her grandmother would eat, and see family from different countries. Rosalba embarks on a magical journey filled with love, happiness, and most of all, culture!

The pace and tone of the text are very warm, light hearted, and smooth. Arthur Dorros' use of both English and Spanish words, places, and foods on every page give an insight to the Latinx culture. I feel like this book acts an amazing window and mirror into the Latinx culture through its use of rich language and warm illustrations. Overall, I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

This book can be paired with other books that act as windows and mirrors to the Latinx culture. Books such as I Love Saturdays y Domingos by Alma Ada and Quinito's Neighborhood = El Vecindario de Quinito by Ina Cumpiano are two picture books that use rich language and warm illustrations to demonstrate the beauty in the Latinx culture.

Quote: We'd fly to where the ships are docked, and watch people unfold fruits from the land where Abuela grew up. Mangos, bananas, papayas - those are all Spanish words. So are rodeo, patio, and burro."
This quote can be used to start a discussion on the influences that the Spanish culture has had on the United States and on the English language. Many children don't know that a large chuck of our words derived from other languages. This would be a great way to start getting students thinking about other ways that cultures have influenced us today.

[Justina Servantes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abuela is a story about a young girl who imagines what it would be like to fly around New York with her Abuela. Rosalba talks about places like the sea and the clouds to fly over with her Abuela. She mostly talks about places that are significant to her and her Abuela. “’Vamos al aeropuerto,’ she’d say. She’d take me to the airport where the plane that first brought her landed” (19). The story ends with Abuela and Rosalba going on another adventure on to a boat for a ride.
In chapter 5 of the Russell textbook it says, “characters should be portrayed as individuals not as types representing a specific cultural group, author must avoid cultural stereotyping, culture is accurately portrayed” (86). All the characters in this book are described by individuals and are not defined by their culture. The book does not have any stereotypes of the Hispanic culture that is being represented in this book. The book seems to correspond with the textbook for it follows what a good culture book should and should not have.
This was a good book and enjoyable. I liked that the author incorporated some Spanish words into the book and he made sure that the next sentence served as a definition of the word. Also in the book there was a glossary that give the pronunciation and definitions of the Spanish words. Another thing that I enjoyed from this book was the way the author ended the book by suggesting that Rosabla and her Abuela would begin another adventure. I would recommend this book to younger children so it can broaden their imagination. The content of the story is capturing and engages the reader to want to know what happens next just like at the ending when they get into the boat, though then you must imagined what happened.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book tells a story of a fictional girl and her grandmother flying over the city where they live, visiting family members at their work places. Along the way, the grandmother recalls events and details from the country she grew up in. She also uses phrases or words in Spanish, as it the language she knows best. There are translations or context clues in the book to let the reader know what she is saying. It is understood by reading that they share a strong bond because they are shown hugging and holding hands in many pages. Furthermore, the story is about a Hispanic family because they speak Spanish. The plot is easy for children to follow and understand. It also provides the opportunity for children to use their imagination as they can image themselves flying over their own town/city, and with a close family member of their own. The illustrations on every page of this book will have your eyes looking all over the page. The illustrator does a great job using various colors and using every space, colorfully, and not missing a detail. Additionally, the colors correspond to the story because the places they go to have a colorful setting. Furthermore, I also like how when they went to visit relatives, they are shown with many different occupations and not the stereotypical kinds. The pictures are sure to catch a child's eyes and the story will have them make the connection to a close family member they may have. I consider this book as fiction, because of the flying aspect, although the relationship between the grandmother and child would not be could be seen as realistic fiction. After reading the book and looking over it, I do not see any evidence of racism or stereotypes being used.

[Marisa Moorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abuela is a fantasy fiction book written by Arthur Dorros and illustrated by Elisa Kleven. This book is from the point of view of a little girl named Rosalba and her Abuela which means " grandma" in Spanish. I really like this book because it is very different , colorful, and eye-catching. The plot is very interesting because it consists of Rosalba and her Abuela in the park admiring the world around them. The fantasy part of this story starts at the beginning when Rosalba imagines that she and her Abuela are birds flying around the city. " Rosalba el pajaro" which means " Rosalba the bird." Rosalba and her Abuelo then fly all over the city of New York and with a few more adventures they eventually end up back in the park. The illustrations in this book are colorful and very detailed. I think that younger students would enjoy reading this particular book because of the illustrations and the message the story conveys about spending time with your family members. This book is also bilingual and includes some Spanish. This is the perfect book to read for a student that wants to read and possibly learn about another culture and language.

[Nichole Haselhuhn]

Summary: This story is about Rosalba, who rides the bus through the city with her Abuela (grandmother). From feeding the birds in the park they go on an amazing journey of what it would be like to be a bird flying through the air.

Mentor Writing Traits:
Word Choice-This multicultural story provides us with a great sprinkling of rich Spanish words throughout this story, bringing a feeling of what it is like to be an immigrant in this country and toeing the line between languages.


Classroom Integration: This is a great content area text to support our students in learning the importance of language learning. It would be a great book in a unit of similar books showing the many cultures that make up our world. We can use it as a jumping off point to learn about different cultures and countries. This can be connected to our own exploration of self identity, family history and genealogy. For an older grade I would maybe bring in a professional genealogy researcher to teach them skills to do their own research. I would also consider the series Finding Your Roots, bringing an element of cool and connection to genealogy.