Blog Entry #29

 

My Abuelita

Written by Tony Johnston

Illustrated by Yuyi Morales

Harcourt Children’s Books, 2009

32 pages

Multicultural

 

            My Abuelita is a super cute book, and the way the story is told is quite funny. It is about a boy that lives with his grandmother, or abuelita, and her cat named Frida Kahlo. The way the boy describes his abuelita in the book is what is hilarious. The boy and his grandmother get up, get a bath and a shower, have breakfast, get dressed, and he helps her get her stuff in the car and ready for work. She likes to stretch, yodel, and sing to get ready for it, and he does it with her. At the end of the book, it reveals his abuelita is a storyteller, she tells stories to children, and he wants to be one just like her.

            The illustrations in My Abuelita are very unique. They are made up of polymer clay, wire, felting wool, acrylic paints, fabric, wood, metals, and Mexican crafts. They are made, then photographed and digitally altered. It looks like objects are set on top of paintings and different surfaces. The characters are little dolls dressed in fabric clothing. They resemble little baby dolls, especially their hands and feet, and they have sort of strange-looking faces. This book has different illustrations than you would normally see, but that is part of what makes it fun.

            My Abuelita would be appropriate for a second or third grade student and up. It would be a great read for an independent read or for a teacher read aloud. A teacher could really use this book to connect with a Spanish-speaking ELL student. It would be a good read for an ELL student. This book would provide a great opportunity to teach about the Hispanic culture, and it could create a connection through grandparents. Almost everyone has a grandparent they love, and it could bridge the gap between two different cultures in a classroom. The only thing I wished this book had would be a guide to some of the Spanish words, because it is hard to know the pronunciations of them. My Abuelita has no awards or honors.