Icy Watermelon/Sandia Fria

by Mary Sue Galindo

Hugo, María, and Sarita enjoy spending time with their abuelo and abuela . And they in turn enjoy teasing their grandchildren with adivinanzas , little riddles that make the children giggle and smile even while leading them to think about the world in new ways. So when Grandpa begins to reminisce about his own grandfather, and about the watermelons they raised long ago, the three youngsters recognize yet another curious adivinanza in the telling.

Genres: Picture Books, Spanish Literature, Family, Childrens, Language, Cultural

28 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for something I'm involved in on my job. It's a bilingual picture book about family and watermelon.

[Hannah Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really lovely and realistic book about how families care for and enjoy time with each other, and how family history can be preserved and passed down through shared experience. I appreciate how it is culturally specific in its details, but also broadly relatable.
It is by an “own voices”/own stories Latinx author and illustrator, and feels authentic. This would be a good read aloud for preschool, or read aloud and conversation starter for early elementary students. And it’s bilingual, which is always a plus!

[Katelynn Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I overall enjoyed this book. The illustrations reminded me of books I read when I was younger. The images were more mature compared to the typical brightly illustrated children books I read. However, I don't think this book would keep the interest of a younger audience. It moves slowly and would most likely appeal to older children.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sitting on the porch, enjoying watermelon together, the family in this book talk about what watermelons have meant to them in their family history and even how love bloomed over watermelons. Very beautiful!

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can't figure out why this would be in the nonfiction section, except that the text has also been presented in Spanish. It's just a simple story of a family sharing watermelon and hearing how their grandparents met. Would not work for the Book Time I have in mind.

[Wilma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a colorful, multicultural book. It is easy reading. It involves grandparents visiting and how they have a special treat together and in this family it is watermelon. Watermelon is part of this hispanic family heritage-the whole family partcipates in harvesting it. Good family story.

[Christie Suh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a Hispanic family gathering together. The mother prepares iced watermelon and the grandfather tells the children stories of how his father harvested watermelons. In English and Spanish.

[Brianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grade Levels: 2-4
* A great book that allows students to make world connections with a different culture; also a great book for ELL students as it is written in both English and Spanish

[Kelly Shiverdecker]

Published: 2001

This multicultural book is about grandparents who visit their grand kids frequently, and this day particular they have watermelon, and the abuelo connects it to how he met it wife, leading the kids to want to grow their own watermelons using the seeds.