Harvesting Friends: Cosechando amigos

by Kathleen Contreras

Overview

Young Lupe loves helping her mother with their salsa garden full of tomatoes, chile peppers, onions, garlic and cilantro. But one summer day, she sees that the biggest, juiciest tomatoes have disappeared! Who could have taken them?!?
Two weeks later, she catches the culprit in the act! It’s Antonio, the new boy at school. His family doesn’t have much money and the tomatoes look so good. He offers his gold necklace in exchange, but Lupe has a better idea. “You help me with the garden, and I’ll give back your necklace and some tomatoes.” They become friends over the summer as they weed, water and pick vegetables. When the growing season ends and they have composted the leaves and stems, Lupe happily returns Antonio’s necklace.
The following year, Lupe and Antonio invite their neighbors to help with the garden. Soon everyone is pitching in to grow everything from tomatoes to watermelon and America’s first crops­—squash, beans and corn.
Including easy-to-make recipes, this bilingual picture book for children ages 4-8 will have them clamoring for a garden of their own to plant and harvest. Along the way, young readers will learn that coming together as a community will enable them to harvest more than just vegetables.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781558858589
Publisher:	Arte Publico Press
Publication date:	05/31/2018
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	537,581
Product dimensions:	11.10(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

Editorial Reviews

Including easy-to-make recipes, Harvesting Friends / Cosechando amigos is a bilingual (English/Spanish) picture book for children ages 4-8 that will have them clamoring for a garden of their own to plant and harvest. Harvesting Friends / Cosechando amigos is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to family, preschool, elementary school, and community library bilingual picture book collections.

Midwest Book Review

06/21/2019

PreS-Gr 2- A young girl develops a shared garden for her diverse community. Luna loves tending to her family's vegetable garden throughout the year. In the springtime they dig and plant seeds, and in summer they water and weed, waiting for just the right moment to pick the vegetables they'll use for their chunky salsa. One day, Luna finds a number of tomatoes are gone, and a gold chain has been left in the dirt. When Luna discovers the culprit is Antonio, the new boy from school, whose family is struggling to afford food, she suggests that he help care for the garden in exchange for more tomatoes. Their time spent in the garden inspires Luna to invite more of her neighbors to contribute, work, and expand the garden. The colorful illustrations stay true to the parallel bilingual text, capturing the richness and joy of the characters' bonding through horticulture. Back matter includes simple recipes using the ingredients found in the Amigos Garden. VERDICT Contreras's straightforward language manages to address a variety of themes without weighing down the narrative, leaving plenty of room for discussions about topics like community farms to poverty. A great addition to bilingual collections featuring a variety of timely topics. -Jessica Agudelo, New York Public Library

School Library Journal

2018-03-18
Lupe and her mamá have spent months planting, weeding, and watering, because there's nothing better than a salsa garden. Pungent cilantro, eye-tearing onions, mouth-searing chilis, nostril-flaring garlic, and…oh, no! The biggest, reddest, juiciest tomatoes have disappeared! In their place is a gold chain and medal. The mystery is later solved when Lupe catches a hungry classmate gathering another armload of tomatoes for his family. Antonio agrees to help tend the garden in exchange for the return of his grandmother's necklace and more tomatoes. A friendship develops between the children, giving Lupe an idea—why doesn't she invite the neighbors to help with next year's garden? As the plants thrive so does the camaraderie, and soon the harvest includes the fruit of long-lasting friendships. The author's strong connection with her Mexican-American culture is evident in the comforting, family-reinforcing narrative. Undercuffler's engaging and detailed illustrations bring Lupe and her exuberant friends to life. His multiethnic composition of the neighborhood portrays a strong, positive image of all that is good in America. Readers will enjoy discovering the artist sitting among the partygoers. Contreras' uncomplicated bilingual tale highlights the importance of compassion, cooperation, and companionship. Three simple garden recipes are appended, including one for a pico de gallo salsa.Un libro muy sabroso. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews