When we visit mi abuelo, I help him sell
frutas, singing the names of each fruit
as we walk, our footsteps like drumbeats,
our hands like maracas, shaking…
The little girl loves visiting her grandfather in Cuba and singing his special songs to sell all kinds of fruit: mango, limón, naranja, piña, and more! Even when they’re apart, grandfather and granddaughter can share rhymes between their countries like un abrazo — a hug — made of words carried on letters that soar across the distance like songbirds.
From Pura Belpré Award–winning author Margarita Engle comes a lively, rhythmic picture book about a little girl and her beloved grandfather who is a pregonero — a singing street vendor in Cuba.
"Palacios’ vibrant illustrations beautifully capture the joy and liveliness of the event. The child tells readers, 'my favorite visits… are on the eve of el año nuevo' when people buy 12 grapes and make a wish, one for each month of the new year. This child’s wish, reflecting the author’s own leitmotif, is for friendship between the two countries and a time when families on both sides of the narrow strip of ocean that separates them can freely visit. In the author’s note, Engle gives some details on the travel restrictions that keep families apart as well as explaining her choice to use Spanglish in the text." — Kirkus Reviews
Recommended Age | 4 - 8 |
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Author | Margarita Engle |
Illustrator | Sara Palacios |
ISBN | 1534444890 |
Publication Date | Aug 3, 2021 |
Publisher | Atheneum Books for Young Readers |
Language | English |