Family matters. In this day and age, our society sometimes forgets that. Relationships with grandparents can make huge differences in children's lives. Today we are sharing two new picture books that celebrate relationships with grandfathers. Each book has different lessons--one teaches Spanish words and the other is about cooking. We will start with the Spanish one. It is Hola, Lola! To the Bodega: A Bilingual First Words Book/¡Hola, Lola! A la bodega: Un libro bilingüe de primeras palabras by Sandra Equihua. It is recommended for ages 4 to 7.
About the Book:
A bilingual picture book from the Emmy Award–winning creator of El Tigre, featuring a spunky girl on a mission at the local bodega for her grandfather’s birthday. With over 100 first words in English and Spanish!It’s Abuelito’s birthday, and Lola must go to the neighborhood bodega to get a candle for his cake! But there’s just so much at the store that catches Lola’s eye, from the fresh fruits and vegetables to the delicious sandwiches at the deli counter—not to mention the sweet breads and paletas.
Little ones will lose themselves in the aisles along with Lola as she delves into all areas of the bodega. English and Spanish labels introduce young readers to all the common foods and items found at the grocery store.
From Me:
In this book, Lola goes to the market (the bodega) to get a birthday candle for her grandfather's cake. Lola loves going to the market and knows the owners. She explores the whole market which gives many vocabulary words in both English and Spanish. She has a great time at the market but forgets her purpose of the trip. She returns home and realizes she didn't get the candle. She comes up with another great idea for her grandfather's birthday cake.
This book shares the wonderful celebration of family but also teaches Spanish. The book is bilingual but the products at the market are labeled and gives so many vocabulary words! The book is perfect for helping kids learn Spanish or English. It is also just a fun story about going to the market as well as celebrating her grandfather. I love the family connection built into the story. It is a fun book that bilingual families will enjoy and also great for new language learners.
Our second book is about a granddaughter who loves to cook with her grandfather. One Sunday he shares his family recipe book. The book is Poppy's Family Recipes by Lauren Semmer. It is part of the Poppy's Family Stories. (You can read our review of the first Poppy's Family Stories book here.) It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
About the Book:
Learn about the joy of making homemade meals! Written and illustrated by the New York Times bestselling illustrator of The ABCs of Black History, this picture book shows that cooking can be fun, especially with your loved ones! This book also includes two distinct jacket and case designs that make it the perfect gift.Sunday afternoons are special for Poppy, because she gets to spend them with Granddad. Today they are preparing a meal from scratch!
When Poppy is nervous about trying Granddad’s famous coconut stew, he shares the rich family history behind his dish. Then, after looking through a book of Grandad’s favorite recipes, they decide to make a sweet potato pie!
From visiting the farmers market for local ingredients to cooking side by side with Granddad, Poppy learns that nothing feels better than sharing a home-cooked meal with the people you love.
New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Lauren Semmer serves up a heartfelt story about the joy of cooking and the power of family tradition. The book also includes two recipes for young readers to make.
This book features two unique illustrated covers, one on the jacket and the other on the case, that make it the perfect gift to share with loved ones!
From Me:
Poppy loves visiting her grandfather on Sundays. He lets her help him cook things from scratch. She is afraid to try his coconut stew at first. He shows her his recipe book that he made as a child with recipes from his family. She wonders about one recipe which is for sweet potato pie and asks if they can make it that day. They get the needed ingredients at the farmer's market and then make it for the family dinner. Everyone comes with different parts of the dinner and they eat together. Poppy even surprises them with a second dessert. At the end of the book are recipes for the sweet potato pie and Poppy's surprise.
This book emphasizes cooking from scratch and having family dinners with extended family. Both are things that I feel our society has gone away from. They are both so important and each reminds us to slow down and enjoy life with loved ones. This book is perfect for a family story time, to start cooking with a child and teaching them a bit about cooking from scratch or just a story time read to enforce the importance of extended family.
