Gift For Abuelita / Un regalo para Abuelita: Celebrating the Day of the Dead/En celebracion del Dia de los Muertos (Multilingual Edition) [Hardcover]

Nancy Luenn (Author), Robert Chapman (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

The love and rituals surrounding the Mexican folk holiday-- The Day of the Dead.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

First-time illustrator Chapman's inventive full-page collagelike tableaux distinguish this otherwise flat bilingual story. Luenn's (Squish! A Wetland Walk) narrative conveys only a glimmer of the relationship between young Rosita and her grandmother, Abuelita, before the woman dies; she relies on the metaphor of braiding to carry readers through the explanation of customs for the Mexican celebration of the dead. The story opens with Abuelita teaching Rosita that "one strand alone can be broken, but when they are woven together, they make a cord that is strong. Like my love for you and your love for me." The tale suffers from a number of awkward transitions and clumsy sentences (e.g., one page begins with "Abuelita scolded the day she discovered Rosita pulling up plants in the garden" and ends with Abuelita's death). The illustrations create the warmth between characters absent from the text; Chapman casts wet paper pulp in molds then glues numerous layers into a wooden frame, giving the compositions the feel of embroidered quilts. Beads, twine and wooden figurines complete these intriguing, complex creations, apt for a story of handcrafted gifts. A brief author's note explains some of the particulars of the Day of the Dead, yet a few phrases will remain a mystery to children (as when Rosita's family buys "bread of the dead" at market). The artwork is the real gift here. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Rosita wishes that her grandmother, whom she adored, could be remembered in a special way. She uses the occasion of el D!a de los Muertos to make a gift that is just right to celebrate abuelita. This is an exceptional book to use in a classroom to discuss the loss of loved ones. (Grade 2-5)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Cooper Square Publishing Llc (June 30, 2004)
• Language: Multilingual
• ISBN-10: 0873586883
• ISBN-13: 978-0873586887
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #652,762 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gift for Abuelita/Un regalo para Abuelita, October 24, 2000

By 

Rebecca Brown "rebeccasreads" (Clallam Bay, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gift For Abuelita / Un regalo para Abuelita: Celebrating the Day of the Dead/En celebracion del Dia de los Muertos (Multilingual Edition) (Hardcover)

This coming together of a writer's story & the visions of an illustrator is perfect. A simple tale of sorrow, change, love & healing. There are skills & ideas tucked away inside this gift: of a child's grief over the death of her grandmother & of the everyday things they did together & how her people celebrate their loved ones memories with gifts & prayers.

A Gift for Abuelita/Un regalo para Abuelita is a treasure to be read again & again not just for the story. It is rich in detailed illustrations & the marriage of two languages telling the same story is a fine addition. For my full review do check out: [my website]

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, Sensitive Text and Illustrations, August 7, 2004

By 

Tracy Robert (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gift For Abuelita / Un regalo para Abuelita: Celebrating the Day of the Dead/En celebracion del Dia de los Muertos (Multilingual Edition) (Hardcover)

I purchased this book because of the outstanding, noteworthy illustrations and fell in love with the sensitivity of the text. I live in a community where the Day of the Dead is celebrated locally. I own several fiction and non-fiction books on the topic, which I use in my primary grade classroom. While other non-fiction children's books on the Day of the Dead do a better job of explaining what happens during this celebration, this is the only book I have found that explains on an emotional level why one would want to celebrate one's dead relatives.

Although the relationship between Rosalita and her grandmother is established too quickly to cause the reader any distress when she dies on the third page of the text, Rosalita's dilemma is made clear. She works through the process of remembering and grieving her "abuelita" (grandmother). She thinks about what she can place on the family altar to symbolize her relationship with her deceased grandmother. She wonders what it will feel like when her grandmother's spirit returns on the Day of the Dead. How she resolves these questions will beautifully explain to anyone outside of the culture why those who celebrate this holiday take the time to remember.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a great childrens book! un gran ejemplo del literatura infantíl!, March 28, 2006

By 

Jessica L. Lawrence (North Carolina) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gift For Abuelita / Un regalo para Abuelita: Celebrating the Day of the Dead/En celebracion del Dia de los Muertos (Multilingual Edition) (Hardcover)

This book is great for readers learning spanish or english. It has beautiful illustrations, and a great story that is based on an event that most children will have to face. The celebration of the day of the dead brings people closer to those who have passed away, and is a great idea to give to children.
Este libro es muy bueno para lectores más jovenes para aprender inglés o español. Tiene dibujos bonitas, y un gran cuento que es sobre un evento que muchos niños tendrán. La celebración del Dia de los Muertos traiga los personas muy cercas a los personas que son muertos, y es una buena idea dar los niños.