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Cecilia Ruiz

A Gift from Abuela Hardcover – Picture Book, August 7, 2018

by Cecilia Ruiz (Author, Illustrator)

23 ratings

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In her first book for children, Cecilia Ruiz illuminates how things can change — and the importance of holding on to our dearest relationships when they do.

The first time Abuela holds Nina, her heart overflows with tenderness. And as Nina grows up, she and Abuela spend plenty of time together. Abuela can’t help thinking how much she’d like to give Nina a very special treat, so she saves a little bit of her money every week — a few pesos here, a few pesos there. When the world turns upside down, Abuela’s dream of a surprise for Nina seems impossible. Luckily, time spent together — and the love Abuela and Nina have for each other — could turn out to be the very best gift of all. With a soft and subtle hand, author-illustrator Cecilia Ruiz draws from her own history to share a deeply personal tale about remembering what’s most important when life starts to get in the way.

Reading age

4 - 8 years
Print length

38 pages
Language

English
Grade level

Preschool - 3
Lexile measure

AD540L
Dimensions

9.38 x 0.37 x 10.25 inches
Publisher

Candlewick
Publication date

August 7, 2018
ISBN-10

0763692670
ISBN-13

978-0763692674
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Editorial Reviews

Review

The story traces how time shifts family situations, and—a point not commonly taken up in picture books—the way people’s economic circumstances can change in ways they can’t plan for or control. But Ruiz’s most important message is that love survives no matter what.
—Publishers Weekly

Ruiz elevates a standard tale about the loving bond between a grandmother and granddaughter, Abuela and Niña, with historically significant and culturally relevant detail...Against fickle materialism and wealth, Ruiz demonstrates how family bonds and love remain steady, unbreakable, and are indeed our greatest gift. lettycia terrones
—The Horn Book

Beautiful and soft pastel colored illustrations decorate every page and bring the papel picado and the homes and neighborhoods to life. Filled with lovely illustrations and the all-too-true message that “sometimes life just gets in the way,” this story seems to be going in different directions, and ultimately ends abruptly and leaves readers yearning for a little bit more.
—School Library Journal

About the Author

Cecilia Ruiz is an illustrator and graphic designer with an MFA in illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She is the author-illustrator of The Book of Memory Gaps. Born in Mexico City, Cecilia Ruiz now lives in New York City.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Candlewick; Illustrated edition (August 7, 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 38 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0763692670
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0763692674
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 - 8 years
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ AD540L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 3
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.38 x 0.37 x 10.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #999,619 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #219 in Children's Mexico Books
- #288 in Children's Homelessness & Poverty Books (Books)
- #2,518 in Children's Multigenerational Family Life

Customer Reviews:
23 ratings

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frieder schulz

Great book for child in beginning spanish

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 16, 2019

Verified Purchase

My granddaughter is in bi lingual school she loved it

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Cecelia

Beautiful and poignant look at the relationships between grandparents and grandchildren

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 27, 2020

I’ve spent the last few weeks in upstate New York, and it’s been a gift to be able to see my grandmother (now 101 years old!). For many months she couldn’t have visitors because of COVID-19, and we’re all very aware that that could happen again—so any time together is precious beyond measure. Thinking of how much I value my grandmother’s presence and appreciate her support as an adult made Cecilia Ruiz’s picture book A Gift from Abuela feel even more poignant.

In this Mexico City-set picture book, a child and grandmother are fast friends. However, as the child grows up, life gets in the way of visiting, and slowly they grow apart. One day, the child learns that their grandmother was saving money for a special gift, but because of political/economic upheaval, those savings became worthless. Together, grandmother and grandchild decide to make banners out of the old paper currency, and bond anew.

A Gift from Abuela is a heartfelt and bittersweet story notable for its unique setting and its celebration of the small habits and special moments spent together that make relationships memorable. Children who have seen the film Coco will find much to identify with in this story, as the same threads of family, remembrance, and art are woven through out. The narrative itself is simple and universal, and while it could be set anywhere in the world, the Mexico City setting is uniquely lovely. The papel picado (cut paper art used in celebratory banners in Mexico) border design on the cover, textures used throughout the book, and varying colors all add to that sense of setting and place.

The highlight, as it often (always?) is with picture books, is the art. Ruiz’s designs are symmetrical and almost architectural—and the page spreads often rely on these idealistic outlines of the grandmother’s kitchen/building/city for structure. In addition, Ruiz uses lots of patterns in primary colors, with a screen-printed effect. The art will appeal to adults just as much as the children.

This book would make a wonderful gift for a grandparent to share with their grandchild (no guarantees that the grandparent won’t cry, though!). It’s also a good candidate for cultural learning units that include Day of the Dead traditions (without a specific reference to that holiday). It’s a must for libraries that are looking to add to or feature diverse voices and experiences in their collections.

In all, A Gift from Abuela is a meticulously-illustrated and poignant look at the relationships between grandparents and grandchildren.

Recommended for: fans of culturally diverse picture books, parents, grandparents, and libraries looking for stories featuring Latinx characters, and anyone who enjoyed Dreamers, Juana & Lucas, and Duncan Tonatiuh’s picture books.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

SB

What a gift this book is to readers of every age

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 15, 2018

A GIFT FROM ABUELA is written and illustrated by Cecilia Ruiz. This new title offers rich content and provides countless discussion starters to compare and contrast their text, the settings, the characters, the art, and the gently-conveyed messages.
In this tender but intense story, Niña grows with Abuela from a welcomed infant (like Gabe) through to later childhood.
Those years pass quickly in page turns showing laughter and habits that establish their loving relationship. It reaches into the age when Niña grows beyond her days spent with Abuela. That time period also spans economic downturns in their hometown, Mexico City, presented through direct text and also through subtly changing details in their surroundings and expenses.
During the process, Abuela's demeanor gradually saddens, while Niña's awareness of those changes increases. Near the book's end, the child's effort to give Abuela the gifts of time and attention feels like a satisfying conclusion, an interesting flip side to Loretta's gifts to her tiny cousin.
But Ruiz has imbued this story with rich resources for finding another layer. That plummeting economy, the change in the currency and in life's circumstances open discussions to bigger issues. And those circumstances allow Niña to offer an even bigger gift to Abuela-- returning the love and comfort they shared so many years before.

The pair in A GIFT FROM ABUELA are more secure in the early pages, struggling more over passing time. The title itself suggests that it was Abuela's efforts to give her grandchild treats and even something special, like a vacation, that demonstrated her love.The title works well in those earlier pages, and yet it fits even better when Niña's inspired resolution shows, in a warm and meaningful way, that Abuela's REAL gift has been received and welcomed.

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Kathleen Daniels

Great book for explaining how to turn a negative into a positive!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 25, 2019

This story is so sweet! It tells the story of an Abuela who started to save money for a gift in Mexico but then her plans were ruined when the country switched currencies, making all the money she saved worthless. I love this story and I can't wait to tell it to kids.

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