Abuelita and Me

by Leonarda Carranza

Rafael Mayani (Illustrator)

In this poignant, empowering picture book debut, a girl and her beloved abuelita lean on each other as they contend with racism while running errands in the city.

Spending time at home with Abuelita means pancakes, puddle-jumping, and nail-painting. But venturing out into the city is not always as fun. On the bus and at the grocery store, people are impatient and suspicious—sometimes they even yell. Sad, angry, and scared, the story’s young narrator decides not to leave home again...until a moment of empowerment helps her see the strength she and Abuelita share when they face the world together. Warm, expressive illustrations by Rafael Mayani highlight the tenderness in Abuelita and the narrator’s relationship. 

• ISBN10: 1773216104
• ISBN13: 9781773216102
• Publish Date: 26 May 2022
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: CA
• Imprint: Annick Press Ltd
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 32
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Abuelita and Me is a sweetly illustrated and perceptively written book for young readers (~4-7 years) by Dr. Leonarda Carranza. Due out 12th April 2022 from Annick Press, it's 32 pages and will be available in hardcover format.

This is a poignant little book. The first person account from the point of view of the young narrator shows her feelings, confusion, sadness, and reactions to racism in her daily existence as she goes about her life with her grandmother: to the store, on the bus, shopping, and just existing. It's also full of warmth and fun as she abuelita (grandmother) have fun painting their nails, drawing, splashing in puddles, and cooking together.

The art by Rafael Mayani is rendered simply but full of warmth and feeling. The drawings are dynamic and the artist has a knack of portraying emotional range: anger, confusion, sadness, disdain. The art is full of small details which invite readers to take a closer look.

Five stars. It's not always a comfortable book to read, but it is, I think, an important one. This would make a superlative choice for public, school, or classroom library acquisition, reading circle, for therapists and counselors, and for the home library. It will provide an opening for discussion and learning. It's distressing, but also empowering and uplifting.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.