My Abuelita

by Tony Johnston

Book Overview

Winner of a 2010 Pura Belpre Illustrator Honor!

Abuelita's hair is the color of salt. Her face is as crinkled as a dried chile. She booms out words as wild as blossoms blooming. She stuffs her carcacha--her jalopy--with all the things she needs: a plumed snake, a castle, a skeleton, and more. Her grandson knows he has the most amazing grandmother ever--with a very important job. What does Abuelita do? With her booming voice and wonderful...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0152163301
• ISBN13: 9780152163303
• Release Date: September 2009
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.8" x 11.0"
• Age Range: 4 to 7 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 2

Customer Reviews

Adorable

I purchased this book for my classroom. There is a large Spanish-speaking population here and this book does a wonderful job of weaving Spanish vocabulary into a delightful story. The tale has a playful rhythm that makes you want to dance. This book is an absolute delight!

grandparents are special

This picture book follows a grandmother and her grandson getting ready for the grandmothers job. She is a storyteller and he helps her gather all the items that she needs for storytelling. What makes this story so unique are the illustrations. They are photographs of soft sculptures made of clay, wire, wool, fabric, wood, metals. The details that are out into each scene are amazing. The relationship between the grandmother and the grandson was also very touching. Grandparents are special people. The younger generation can learn so much by having a relationship with them. This story seems to bring that point across well. It would make a great story time book around Grandparents Day!

The sweet love of a young boy and his grandmother

This sweet story follows a young boy preparing for his day with her grandmother, a storyteller. The creative and beautiful artwork of Morales weaves through the pages, taking the reader into the life and mind of our young narrator. Makes me think of my own grandmother and the special love that only grandparents and their grandchildren can share. A must read for all!

Good Enough to Eat

When I was younger, my neighbor's mom used to make apple-head dolls. Apparently this was some strange Kansas custom that she brought with her to Ohio. I remember wondering what arcane process she used to transform a juicy delicious apple into the wizened little faces that topped her efforts. Yuyi Morales seems to have brought a modern version of the apple-head to her latest work of art. Not content with the rich, colorful perfection of her earlier paintings, Morales now brings a sense of dimensionality to her work, by creating and photographing dolls of her characters. Still there are the vibrant colors, the curved, flowing compositions and the expressive, connected characters. But now they fairly jump off the page. Kids will love this story, a homage to grannies and storytellers everywhere.

Spanish and English celebrate family ties and a special grandmother's skills

MY ABUELITA receives Yuyi Morales' warm drawings and tells of Abuelita's hair, the color of salt, who is wild and loud. Her grandson knows he has the most amazing grandmother - but what could her special job be? Spanish and English celebrate family ties and a special grandmother's skills.