Scan barcode
kitsuneheart's review against another edition
4.0
Making connections across generations is hard, but add in a language barrier, and it can be almost impossible to really click. When Mia's grandmother comes to live with Mia's family, they can barely understand a few words from one another, but Mua knows her abuela is homesick and lonely. So Mia gets an idea: bring a little of Abuela's old home to their city apartment and adopt a parrot. The parrot is just what Mia and Abuela need, giving them something to talk about and bond over. By the end of the book, they're meeting each other halfway, with Mia learning Spanish and Abuela English, and Mango parading about as bilingual as anyone!
A charming book, though perhaps not on any award lists. The struggles of Mia and Abuela are quite common, so I'm sure there will be plenty of kids relieved to find their own struggles addressed in such an easy to understand book. It's especially nice that it's not just Abuela who adapts, but also Mia, showing that each has their own valid ways of being.
Good for a unit on multiculturalism, and how we can work together for better understanding.
A charming book, though perhaps not on any award lists. The struggles of Mia and Abuela are quite common, so I'm sure there will be plenty of kids relieved to find their own struggles addressed in such an easy to understand book. It's especially nice that it's not just Abuela who adapts, but also Mia, showing that each has their own valid ways of being.
Good for a unit on multiculturalism, and how we can work together for better understanding.
pacifickle's review against another edition
4.0
Love the practical things this beautifully-illustrated Latina character does to help her Grandmother acquire English vocabulary - practicing together, labeling things with cards, buying her a parrot to make her feel comfortable. Great book!
lmasondcroz's review against another edition
5.0
Medina, M. (2015). Mango, Abuela, and me. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
In Mango, Abuela, and Me (Medina, 2015), a young girl named Mia must learn how to communicate with her grandmother, who has never me and who has just moved from into her family’s apartment. Mia and her abuela have a hard time communicating because Mia only speaks English and Abuela only speaks Spanish. Mia’s mother points out that Mia has a friend named Kim who she helped learn English in school, and that gives Mia ideas about teach her abuela English, too. Mia and Abuela spend the rest of the book bonding by teaching each other (and their new parrot Mango) their languages.
This book is culturally relevant because it depicts experiences that many students could relate to and all students could benefit from understanding: moving to the United States and learning English and/or communicating with someone who doesn’t speak your language. It provides an opportunity for students to see themselves in others and to develop an understanding of common humanity (Boyd, Causey, & Calda, 2015). Mango, Abuela, and Me could be a tool for growth (Chaudhri & Teale, 2013) to help students empathize with immigrants and hopefully inspire them to learn new languages in order to connect with other cultures.
In Mango, Abuela, and Me (Medina, 2015), a young girl named Mia must learn how to communicate with her grandmother, who has never me and who has just moved from into her family’s apartment. Mia and her abuela have a hard time communicating because Mia only speaks English and Abuela only speaks Spanish. Mia’s mother points out that Mia has a friend named Kim who she helped learn English in school, and that gives Mia ideas about teach her abuela English, too. Mia and Abuela spend the rest of the book bonding by teaching each other (and their new parrot Mango) their languages.
This book is culturally relevant because it depicts experiences that many students could relate to and all students could benefit from understanding: moving to the United States and learning English and/or communicating with someone who doesn’t speak your language. It provides an opportunity for students to see themselves in others and to develop an understanding of common humanity (Boyd, Causey, & Calda, 2015). Mango, Abuela, and Me could be a tool for growth (Chaudhri & Teale, 2013) to help students empathize with immigrants and hopefully inspire them to learn new languages in order to connect with other cultures.
susanreadstheworld's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
maureen_fox's review against another edition
5.0
This hits all the right notes for me: female protagonists with realistic challenges (ie, not boys or clothes), good illustrations, multicultural. It made my heart happy :)
mamabearian's review against another edition
5.0
Mia's Abuela is coming to stay with them, but Mia is feeling shy. She can't speak Spanish well enough to tell Abuela the things she wants to tell her, and Abuela can't speak English well enough to tell her the stories she wishes she could. Soon, though, they are figuring out how to share their languages with each other.
teganbeesebooks's review against another edition
5.0
I love this so much! It's so wonderful and sweet. Another great way to expose readers to a second language. Monarch 2018 Nominee.
litagentsaritza's review against another edition
5.0
This picture book was a wonderful reminder of sharing a room with my Abuela when she came to live with us and the wonderful times we shared.
mnboyer's review against another edition
5.0
Abuela comes to live with her family, which at first makes the young narrator shy – her grandmother does not speak English, she does not speak Spanish, and now they have to share a room. The two then begin teaching each other words as they do daily tasks after school (including making meat pies). The family then purchases a parrot to keep abuela company while the granddaughter is at school – to remind her of a parrot that used to live in her mango tree. Naturally, the parrot then also begins mimicking words and shows the importance of being bilingual.
There are several aspects of this story that are great for children, the first being having to adjust when a grandparent is suddenly moving in with you (I have experienced this personally). It is a change that is made tougher in this book because of language barriers, but the author offers ways with which to deal with these barriers until two people can begin to better communicate. I definitely appreciate the addition of the parrot, because a bilingual parrot would be exciting to have around.
There are several aspects of this story that are great for children, the first being having to adjust when a grandparent is suddenly moving in with you (I have experienced this personally). It is a change that is made tougher in this book because of language barriers, but the author offers ways with which to deal with these barriers until two people can begin to better communicate. I definitely appreciate the addition of the parrot, because a bilingual parrot would be exciting to have around.
shelbybrigham91's review against another edition
5.0
Abuela moves in with our main character.It's a change for her as she is sharing her room with Abuela now. Abuela doesn't understand English words, so the granddaughter shows her the pictures in her book. Abuela shows her two important things she brought with her, a feather from a wild parrot, and a photo of her abuelo. She goes to the park with her grandmother to feed the birds but struggles to connect with her because her Spanish isn't good, and her grandmother's English isn't good. They want to share their stories and lives with each other but struggle due to this language barrier. The granddaughter tries teaching the grandmother English words, as the grandmother shares the word for it in Spanish as they cook together. They place word cards around the house to help each other so they can practice and communicate. While out with her mother our main character sees a parrot similar to the feather her grandmother had, and convinces her mother to get the parrot for Abuela to keep her company. They bond as they teach the parrot tricks and words. As they're able to practice they're able to understand each other better and share their lives.