Grandma's Chocolate/El chocolate de abuelita

Gr 3—5—Sabrina recalls a visit from her Mexican grandmother. Abuelita tells her about the history and culture of the Mayans and Aztecs through such activities as unpacking her suitcase with "surprises from México," shopping at the market, eating ice cream, and taking the girl to school. Children will enjoy reading about their own customs or learning about new ones, such as making hot chocolate with a molinillo, braiding colorful ribbons into their hair, wearing a huipil, and playing with traditional Mexican toys. Fields does a wonderful job of blending images from the pre-Columbian past with Sabrina's modern present. The emphasis on the characters through the use of warm colors set against dark yellow backgrounds helps to convey the caring relationship between the main characters. The English text is printed on the top of the page with an excellent Spanish version at the bottom. Both languages are enjoyable reading and easy to understand. A spot illustration dividing the two texts highlights important elements from the story. Pair this book with Braids/Trencitas (Lectorum, 2009) for a family storytime honoring abuelas.—Rebecca Alcalá, San Mateo County Library, CA