Abuelita and Me

by Leonarda Carranza, Rafael Mayani (Illustrator)

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781773216102
Publisher:	Annick Press, Limited
Publication date:	04/12/2022
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	552,743
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	AD530L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

LEONARDA CARRANZA was raised in Tkaronto, and born in Cuscatlán (El Salvador) to a mixed-race family of Afro-Indigenous ancestry. She holds a Ph.D. in Social Justice Education from the University of Toronto. She is the winner of Briarpatch Magazine's Writing in the Margins contest, and Room’s 2018 short forms contest. Leonarda lives in Brampton, ON, part of the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit.

RAFAEL MAYANI is a Mexican artist based in Vancouver, Canada. He draws inspiration from the vibrant colours and shapes of Mexico and the natural beauty of Canadian landscapes.

Editorial Reviews

05/30/2022

A bus driver’s prejudice forces a child to grapple with difficult emotions in this affecting story. Employing first-person narration, a child describes a separation between “inside” as a space where “we can be silly,” and “outside” as a locale where “sometimes, people are not nice to Abuelita.” On a trip to the store for sopa ingredients, the pair, portrayed with tan skin, first face a white-cued grocer’s impatience, and then the cruelty of a pink-skinned bus driver who thinks they are trying to ride for free. After the incident, the child, sad and angry, refuses to go out again, but Abuelita’s patient support (“What happened is not our fault. We are not the ones that need to hide”) helps them return out of doors. A subtle resolution underlines pride in a personal act in lieu of real equity won, but the incident itself should prompt discussion of systemic racism and its manifold effects. In rust and beige hues, Mayani’s dramatic graphics partner readily with the book’s lines. Ages 4–7. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

06/24/2022

PreS-Gr 2—A young girl loves doing things indoors with her Abuelita, such as eating pancakes, drawing, and painting nails. Going outdoors, however, is a different matter. At the grocery store, on the street, at the bus stop—people take a look at Abuelita and make faces or pretend they can't understand what she is saying. After an outing that ends in a very upsetting experience with a prejudiced bus driver, the little girl doesn't want to go outside again. Abuelita tries to comfort her and explain that they did nothing wrong, but the young girl becomes sad and then angry when she thinks of Abuelita being upset. Eventually, the young girl and her grandmother go outside and board the bus, giving each other strength, comfort, and love. Warm, luminous illustrations express the love and happiness of the protagonist and her abuelita as they enjoy each other's company, while also showing readers their very feelings of sadness and worry. Clear, concise sentences express the girl's confusion, thoughts, and worries over Abuelita's treatment by others. This moving story will open up important discussions about racism and prejudice against people of marginalized backgrounds, including those who speak a different language. The digital art is composed of mostly oranges and purples, perfect for representing the tender relationship between granddaughter and grandmother. The pair have varying degrees of brown skin. Many of the scenes depict a diverse, bustling city. VERDICT A resonant, intergenerational picture book about an important and necessary topic; highly recommended for children's picture book collections.—Selenia Paz

School Library Journal

★ 2022-04-13
Stepping outside your front door can be scary when you don't know how the world will treat you and those you love.

A child and their Abuelita—both brown-skinned and cued as Latinx—love spending the day together. But the world outside is a different story. Not everyone knows how special Abuelita is; sometimes people make faces or get up and walk away when she sits next to them. Abuelita always says, “It’s okay, Amorcito”—she knows these people aren’t worthy of her time. But one day, when Abuelita sits down on the bus before paying her fare—she’s worried about falling—the driver yells at them (“You people are always trying to get away with something”). No one speaks up, and the child feels helpless. Back at home, the protagonist doesn’t want to go out again for fear of a similar encounter, but with the help of Abuelita, the child finds the courage to face their fears. What could have easily come across as preachy or heavy-handed instead serves as a gentle but powerful reminder that even the smallest actions—a glance or a comment—can seem larger than life to a child. With bright, expressive illustrations, this is an accessible, tender exploration of the ways in which many marginalized people experience the world. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A soothing balm for children confronting an often angry, frightening world. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews