Gr 2-4-A curious boy wanders through his grandfather's garage and discovers an old guitar sticking out of the clutter. Tata explains to the boy that his grandfather had given him the guitar a long time ago. The man soon starts playing and telling stories of the good old days, turning the dark garage into something quite magical. In the end, the boy inherits his tata's guitar. Its music, memories, and culture come along with it. The colorful pictures beautifully depict the Hispanic traditions that Tata so fondly reminisces about. He talks and sings about birthdays, and he serenades, all customs that revolve primarily around music. The text is easy to read, yet it's filled with picturesque metaphors that give this simple story a magical twist. Young readers are sure to love this tale of finding and inheriting a hidden treasure. Irma Mirthala Garza, Blackshear Elementary, Austin, TX Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
K-Gr 2-A boy tells of finding an old guitar in his grandfather's garage. His tata sits down to play the instrument and tells him that it was given to him by his own grandfather years before. Providing glimpses at celebrations and family life, from romance to migrant work in the United States, the economical prose makes clear that in passing on the guitar, Tata is also passing along his heritage. Full-page pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations, though strong in line, are sometimes awkward in execution. The layout, with boxed English text above and Spanish text below, is attractive. The story reads aloud equally well in English and Spanish. Similar in its warm tone to Alma Flor Ada's I Love Saturdays y domingos (Atheneum, 2002), this is a serviceable tale of a loving intergenerational relationship. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
