Mango, Abuela, and Me

by Meg Medina, Angela Dominguez (Illustrator)

Overview

“A poignant tale of intergenerational connection, transition, and patience. . . . Heartfelt, layered, and beautiful.” — Booklist (starred review)

Mia’s abuela has left her sunny house with parrots and palm trees to live with Mia and her parents in the city. While they cook, Mia helps Abuela learn English, and Mia learns some Spanish, too, but it’s still hard for Abuela to learn enough words to tell Mia her stories. Then Mia sees a parrot in the pet-shop window and has the perfecto idea for how to help them all communicate a little better. Here is an endearing tale that speaks loud and clear about the love that binds families across the generations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536221626
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	03/30/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Lexile:	AD560L (what's this?)
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Meg Medina is a former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and the author of the Newbery Medal winner and Kirkus Prize finalist Merci Suárez Changes Gears, as well as its sequels, Merci Suárez Can’t Dance and Merci Suárez Plays It Cool. She is the author of the young adult novels Burn Baby Burn, which was long-listed for the National Book Award, short-listed for the Kirkus Prize, and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, winner of a Pura Belpré Author Award; and The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind, a Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year. Her picture books include No More Señora Mimí, illustrated by Brittney Cicchese; Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away, illustrated by Sonia Sánchez; Mango, Abuela, and Me, illustrated by Angela Dominguez, which was both a Pura Belpré Author and Illustrator Award Honor Book; and Tía Isa Wants a Car, illustrated by Claudio Muñoz, which won the Ezra Jack Keats Writer Award. The daughter of Cuban immigrants, Meg Medina lives in Richmond, Virginia.

Angela Dominguez has created many picture books, including Maria Had a Little Llama, for which she received a Pura Belpre Honor for illustration. She also teaches art at the Academy of Art University. She lives in San Francisco.

Meg Medina is a former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and the author of the Newbery Medal winner and Kirkus Prize finalist Merci Suárez Changes Gears, as well as its sequels, Merci Suárez Can’t Dance and Merci Suárez Plays It Cool. She is the author of the young adult novels Burn Baby Burn, which was long-listed for the National Book Award, short-listed for the Kirkus Prize, and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, winner of a Pura Belpré Author Award; and The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind, a Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year. Her picture books include No More Señora Mimí, illustrated by Brittney Cicchese; Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away, illustrated by Sonia Sánchez; Mango, Abuela, and Me, illustrated by Angela Dominguez, which was both a Pura Belpré Author and Illustrator Award Honor Book; and Tía Isa Wants a Car, illustrated by Claudio Muñoz, which won the Ezra Jack Keats Writer Award. The daughter of Cuban immigrants, Meg Medina lives in Richmond, Virginia.

Meg Medina’s work examines how cultures and identity intersect through the eyes of young people, and she brings audiences stories that speak to both what is culturally specific and what is universal. Her favorite protagonists are strong girls.

When she is not writing, Meg Medina works on community projects that support girls, Latino youth, and literacy. She lives with her family in Richmond, Virginia.

Angela Dominguez was born in Mexico City, grew up in the great state of Texas, lived in San Francisco, and now lives on the east coast. As a child, she loved reading books and making a mess creating pictures. She's delighted to still be doing both.

She is the author and illustrator of many books, including Maria Had a Little Llama, which was named an American Library Association Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Honor Book. In 2016 she received her second Pura Belpré Honor for her illustrations in Mango, Abuela, and Me, written by the amazing Meg Medina. Her debut middle-grade novel, Stella Díaz Has Something to Say, comes out January 2018. When Angela is not in her studio, she teaches illustration to big kids, otherwise known as adults, at the Academy of Art University.

In her downtime, Angela loves to eat albondigas, or meatballs. Her mom’s meatballs are especially the best. She also loves to lay in hammocks and daydream about her latest adventures.

Editorial Reviews

The text is not bilingual line by line—instead Medina artfully weaves a few Spanish words and phrases into her mainly English sentences in a way young Latinos take for granted, and most English speakers should understand…Dominguez's appealing illustrations, in tones of mango and papaya blended with a more gray and brown urban palette, capture a realistic trace of sadness and confusion on Abuela's face amid cheerful scenes of comfortable family life.

The New York Times Book Review - Maria Russo

Medina artfully weaves a few Spanish words and phrases into her mainly English sentences in a way young Latinos take for granted, and most English speakers should understand...
—The New York Times

With its emotional nuance and understated, observant narration—especially where Abuela’s inner state is concerned—Medina’s (Tia Isa Wants a Car) lovely story has the feel of a novella.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Pura Belpré Award winner Medina (Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, 2013) and Pura Belpré honoree Dominguez (Maria Had a Little Llama, 2013) have created a poignant tale of intergenerational connection, transition, and patience. The language and vivid illustrations (a colorful blend of ink, gouache, and marker) are infused with warmth and expression, perfectly complementing the story’s tone. Abuela’s adjustment to her new home is sensitively portrayed as she and Mia bond over their different cultures and shared heritage. Pair with Matt de la Peña’s Last Stop on Market Street (2015) for another look at urban multiculturalism. Heartfelt, layered, and beautiful—a must for library collections.
—Booklist (starred review)

Medina honors the beauty of holding onto one's history while also making room for new traditions. She demonstrates the richness to be gained by bridging two generations through the language dear to each. Her deceptively simple story models a way to close the communication gap and respect two languages and ways of life...This uplifting and affirming tale makes clear that connecting with someone sometimes takes work and ingenuity, but the payoff is priceless.
—Shelf Awareness (starred review)

Readers from multigenerational immigrant families will recognize the all-too-familiar language barrier. They will also cheer for the warm and loving relationship between Abuela and Mia, which is evident in both text and illustrations even as the characters struggle to understand each other. This warm family story is a splendid showcase for the combined talents of Medina, a Pura Belpré award winner, and Dominguez, an honoree.
—Kirkus Reviews

In this tale, Medina blends Spanish and English words together as seamlessly as she blends the stories of two distinct cultures and generations. Dominguez’s bright illustrations, done in ink, gouache, and marker, make the characters shine as bright as the rich story they depict...Everything about this book will make readers want to share it with someone they love. A timeless story with wide appeal.
—School Library Journal

Medina (Tía Isa Wants a Car, rev. 7/11) tells a heartwarming story about intergenerational relationships, finding common ground, and adapting to change. Dominguez’s (Maria Had a Little Llama, rev. 11/13) digitally adjusted ink, gouache, and marker illustrations capture the various emotions and moods of the characters, from shyness to frustration to happiness...Young readers will enjoy seeing the relationship between Mia and her grandmother develop—with the help of Mango.
—The Horn Book

Dominguez’s easy- going illustrations (in ink, gouache, and marker) have a casual yet precise style; there are touches of humor in Mia’s English labeling of nearly every object in the apartment, and the occasional perspectival shift (looking down on a wistful Abuela as she sits in the park with her granddaughter) adds emotional resonance. There are a lot of families negotiating language and cultural divides, especially with extended family, so plenty of kids will sympathize with Mia’s situation and appreciate her growing relationship with Abuela.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Family stories warm the heart and help to remind us about our own family memories. The colorful artwork is much like the relationship created in this story.
—School Library Connection

Medina pays careful attention to what it means to live in a new language.
—Literacy Daily

From the Publisher

2015-04-15
Abuela is coming to stay with Mia and her parents. But how will they communicate if Mia speaks little Spanish and Abuela, little English? Could it be that a parrot named Mango is the solution? The measured, evocative text describes how Mia's español is not good enough to tell Abuela the things a grandmother should know. And Abuela's English is too poquito to tell Mia all the stories a granddaughter wants to hear. Mia sets out to teach her Abuela English. A red feather Abuela has brought with her to remind her of a wild parrot that roosted in her mango trees back home gives Mia an idea. She and her mother buy a parrot they name Mango. And as Abuela and Mia teach Mango, and each other, to speak both Spanish and English, their "mouths [fill] with things to say." The accompanying illustrations are charmingly executed in ink, gouache, and marker, "with a sprinkling of digital magic." They depict a cheery urban neighborhood and a comfortable, small apartment. Readers from multigenerational immigrant families will recognize the all-too-familiar language barrier. They will also cheer for the warm and loving relationship between Abuela and Mia, which is evident in both text and illustrations even as the characters struggle to understand each other. A Spanish-language edition, Mango, Abuela, y yo, gracefully translated by Teresa Mlawer, publishes simultaneously. This warm family story is a splendid showcase for the combined talents of Medina, a Pura Belpré award winner, and Dominguez, an honoree. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews