Abuela

Abuela by Arthur Dorros. Great reader for lessons on families. In English and Spanish - An innovative fantasy narrated by a Hispanic-American child who imagines she is rising into the air over the park and flying away with her loving, rosy-cheeked abuela (grandmother). In this tasty trip, Rosalba is 'always going places' abuela . During one of their bird-feeding outings to the park, Rosalba wonders aloud, 'What if I could fly?' Thus begins an excursion through the girl's imagination as she soars high above the tall buildings and buses of Manhattan, over the docks and around the Statue of Liberty with Abuela in tow. Each stop of the glorious journey evokes a vivid memory for Rosalba's grandmother and reveals a new glimpse of the woman's colorful ethnic origins. Dorros's text seamlessly weaves Spanish words and phrases into the English narrative, retaining a dramatic quality rarely found in bilingual picture books. Rosalba's language is simple and melodic, suggesting the graceful images of flight found on each page. Kleven's ( Ernst ) mixed-media collages are vibrantly hued and intricately detailed, the various blended textures reminiscent of folk art forms. 40 pages, Paperback.