My Abuelita

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Johnston, Tony. 2009. MY ABUELITA. Illustrated by Yuyi Morales. Boston: Harcourt Children’s Books. ISBN 9780152163303

PLOT SUMMARY
MY ABUELITA is a story about the relationship between a boy and his grandmother. He goes through their morning routine as his grandmother gets ready for her job. The boy gives us hints throughout the book as to where his grandmother works but it is not until the end that you discover how she is perfect for her job. The unique illustrations and heart-warming story will appeal to children from all cultures.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
The plot is easy to follow and will keep readers wondering what the grandmother does for a living. We get clues throughout the book of how she uses her voice a lot of different ways for her job. As she gathers her supplies there is a “Dia de los Muertos” doll which in symbolic of the Hispanic “Day of the Dead” holiday. All through the story we can see how much the boy adores his abuelita.

The story is set at their shared house, but there is no mention of where the house is located. There are many cultural markers found in the house such as the bold colors that decorate the walls. There are also lots of bright colors incorporated into all the fabrics found in the house.

The illustrations are very unique and eye-catching. A note at the beginning of the book tells us “The illustrations in this book were created with polymer clay, wire, felting wood, acrylic paints, fabric, wood, metals, and Mexican crafts, the photographed and digitally manipulated.” The illustrations really bring the words on the page to life. When the boy says “She looks like a great big bee” the accompanying picture is of the boy, his grandmother, and Frida Kahlo, the cat, flying with wings.

Spanish words are used throughout the story and add to the Hispanic authenticity. Abuelita is used every time he refers to his grandmother and it does not seem forced or out of place. Some of the words are common such as vamanos, and chile, Other words are less common such as carcacha, and pantuflas. All of the Spanish words are defined, so there is no confusion as to their meaning.

Another cultural marker is having the boy and his abuelita (grandmother) living under the same roof. At the beginning of the book he says, “I live with my grandma. And she lives with me. I call her Abuelita.” It is not uncommon to find three generations of the same family living together in a house. One of the benefits of this is the close relationship of the boy and his grandmother. The boy looks up to his abuelita and wants to be like her when he grows up.


REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “While the story is firmly placed in a Mexican context, children of all ethnic and racial backgrounds will be drawn to the eye-catching illustrations and the universal story of a loving intergenerational relationship”

BOOKLIST: “A young boy narrates an affectionate ode to his beloved grandmother in this fanciful picture book . . . the many Spanish terms are well defined within the boy’s engaging and poetic narrative, in which he conveys his admiration and affection for his appealingly peppy grandmother . . . the eye-catching, mixed-media illustrations, sparked with bright patterns, textures, and color, will help reinforce the meaning in the words. A charming tribute to family and the joys and inspiration that storytelling can bring."

CONNECTIONS
-Have students write about their relationship with a grandparent or relative
-Show art students this book before they make clay models