Abuelos [Hardcover]

Pat Mora (Author), Amelia Lau Carling (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2008 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

In this delightful story two young children, Ray and Amelia, discover an old New Mexican tradition -- 'los abuelos' -- for the first time.

Long ago, in the cold midwinter of Northern New Mexico, village men would go up into the mountains, disguise themselves as scary old men and then go down to the village to see who had been good and who had been bad. The villagers would gather around huge bonfires, or luminarias, where the abuelos -- wearing masks and covered with soot -- would tease the children and then have them sing or dance around the fire. Afterwards everyone would enjoy a party with traditional treats such as bizcochitos (anise cookies) and empanadas (turnovers with sweet fillings).

This midwinter masquerade, which contains elements of Spanish and indigenous Pueblo culture, as well as sharing features common to solstice celebrations in other parts of the world, died out in New Mexico for a time, but has been revived in recent years.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2–4—Ray and Amelia have a typical sibling relationship—he is a slightly annoying older brother who enjoys scaring his sister. They have moved to New Mexico, where they now live with their extended family. Their father tells them the story of los abuelos—sooty, hairy mountain men who come down each winter to make sure that the children are well behaved. While the story frightens Amelia, her family reminds her that the reenactment of the abuelos' arrival includes a big party. At the end of the book, Amelia ends up rescuing her brother from one particularly scary abuelo who seems very familiar to both of them. Mora, as always, is a master storyteller. In her hands the framing story of Amelia's family and the retelling of the folktale blend seamlessly. This book is not bilingual, but there are many Spanish phrases throughout the family's conversations. Carling's pastel and colored-pencil illustrations are uneven; while the landscapes are beautiful and evoke the crispness of a snowy winter night, the people seem awkwardly posed and slightly unrealistic. However, this story will be welcomed in libraries across the Southwest. Abuelos will be fun to add to traditional winter stories.—Susan E. Murray, Glendale Public Library, AZ
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From Booklist

With scary shivery fun, this lively picture book tells the story of a small girl whose family moves to a New Mexican village, where she meets the traditional “los abuelos,” old mountain monster men who come down from their dark, smoky caves in winter to make sure that children are behaving. The colorful pictures—in watercolor, pastel, and colored pencil—show the girl safe in her loving family, teased by her older brother, (“Oooooo . . . Da-a-a-ark . . . They’re com-m-m-ing”), and then racing around a community bonfire, while village men disguised as the hairy, sooty abuelos come stomping down through the snowy night. Amid all the chaos, the girl recognizes her uncle behind a mask and joins in the uproarious laughter. Mora’s final note fills in cultural details and makes connections with cautionary tales around the world. Translated from the Spanish and framed by warm family images, this story is a great choice for Halloween sharing. Preschool-Grade 2. --Hazel Rochman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Groundwood Books (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0888997167
• ISBN-13: 978-0888997166
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,590,466 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Pat Mora, born in El Paso, Texas, is an award-winning poet and author of books for adults, teens, and children. Her awards include a Poetry Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Golden Kite Award, American Library Association Notable Book Awards, and honorary doctorates. A former teacher and university administrator, she is the founder of the family literacy initiative El día de los niños / El día de los libros, Children's Day / Book Day (Día). The year-long commitment to linking all children to books, languages and cultures, and of sharing what Pat calls "bookjoy," culminates in celebrations across the country in April. Pat lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico and invites you to visit her at www.patmora.com and http://sharebookjoy.blogspot.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Folktale, August 9, 2009

By 

Pincookie04 (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Abuelos (Hardcover)

Pat Mora is an amazing author. All her books are rich in tradition, culture, and importance. In this installment, she shows a family that moved to New Mexico to be with their extended family. Once there, the father tells a story about the "los abuelos" after her and her brother are not getting along. The abuelos is a dirty, hairy, and ultimately, scary mountain men. The father expresses that the los abuelos come down from the mountain to be sure that children are behaving.
As a teacher, Folktales can be tricky to teach. Making those connections can seem like an abstract concept to the children. Pat Mora, writes about cultures that happen to be close to where I live and teach. This makes some of the stories she writes connectable to my students. This folktale can be a wonderful introduction to Folktales. The student can act out the scenes, elaborate on the storyline, and it will open up my students to share in Folktale's shared at home. Making those personal connections really helps teachers connect to their students. I highly recommend any book that Pat Mora has written. Her books are a great edition to your class library.