El chocolate de abuelita - Grandmas Chocolate, Del Sol Books

$945.00 for the Bilingual Collection Blue Books Set, Including 20%-Off, Free Shipping, and No Sales Tax : 65 Hardcover Bilingual Books and 10 Softcover Bilingual Books

Abuela's visits from Mexico are always full of excitement for young Sabrina. She can't wait to see what's in her grandmother's yellow suitcase covered in stickers from all the places she has visited. Opening it is like opening a treasure chest, and this year is no different. Inside are a host of riches: colorful ribbons, a clay whistle shaped like a bird, a drum, and the strong smell of chocolate.
"Abuelita, do you want to play a game? Let's pretend that I'm a princess," Sabrina says. "Okay, Sabrina," Abuela says, "but a Mayan princess should wear a beautiful dress called a huipil." And she pulls the traditional garment worn by Mayan and Aztec women from her suitcase.
Sabrina has lots of questions about her ancestors. Did Mayan princesses have money? Did they go to school? Did they eat chocolate ice cream? With her grandmother's help, Sabrina learns all about the cacao tree, which was first cultivated by Mexico's indigenous tribes. Today, seeds from the cacao tree give us chocolate, but years ago the seeds were so valuable they were used as money. And Moctezuma, the Aztec emperor, liked to eat chocolate poured over bowls of snow brought from the mountains! Sabrina discovers that "chocolate is perfect for a Mayan princess." And children ages 4-8 are sure to agree as they curl up with a steaming cup of hot chocolate and this charming bilingual picture book that depicts a loving relationship between grandmother and granddaughter and shares the history and customs of the native peoples of Mexico.

Kirkus : Sabrina’s much-loved grandmother’s latest visit from Mexico is filled with gifts and interesting tidbits about chocolate, Mayan culture and history. Musical instruments, a traditional blouse (huipil) and pretty ribbons to weave in her hair allow Sabrina to play, dress and feel like a Mayan princess. Sabrina is mostly intrigued by the chocolate bars, which come from the all-important cacao tree, the seeds of which were used by the Mayans in their religious observances, bartering practices and, of course, the making of hot and cold chocolate treats. A gentle, well-translated bilingual text infused with a wise and loving family elder’s teaching is accompanied by earthy, gouache paintings of a round-figured abuelita with her beautiful, Mayan-featured granddaughter. Loose, tan-colored drawings of ancient Mayan scenes are frequently juxtaposed against the full-color modern settings to emphasize Sabrina’s cultural heritage; when she and her abuelita go to the market, for instance, they are depicted straddling two worlds, a monochromatic ancient Mexico on the left, and a modern supermarket on the right. A sweet and loving way to introduce history through family connections. (Picture book. 5-9)

Publishers Weekly: There’s no shortage of princess books on the shelves, but few, if any, like this. In Price’s bilingual story, Sabrina’s visiting grandmother tells her stories about her Mexican heritage, braids ribbons into her hair, and gives her gifts, such a huipil, a traditional blouse. “When you put on this huipil, you will look like a Mayan Princess,” she tells Sabrina. After some lessons about the history of cacao, they make hot chocolate (just like Mayan princesses used to drink, to Sabrina’s delight). Fields’ strongest paintings are those of the rosy–cheeked family, which make evident the influence of their cultural roots and the strength of their intergenerational bonds. Ages 4-8.

LatinoStories.com, Jose B. Gonzalez : There is a reason why Arte Publico is one of the leading publishers of quality children's literature in the country. And this book is proof that this tradition will not be going away anytime soon. It's impossible to read Grandma's Chocolate/El Chocolate de Abuelita by Mara Price without getting a craving for some authentic chocolate made by Grandma. This book is told from the chocolate brown-eyed girl, Sabrina, who welcomes her grandmother home upon her visit from Mexico. As children are wont to do, Sabrina asks her grandmother what she has brought for her. And as grandmothers are wont to do, Sabrina's grandmother goes through her suitcase and shares the various gifts she has brought from Mexico. Among this assortment are: drums, a whistle shaped like a dove, colorful hair ribbons, a huipil, and Mexican chocolate. The huipil, "a traditional blouse worn by Mayan and Aztec women," sets off a series of questions from Sabrina about these cultures and their traditions. Sabrina gets a lesson from her grandmother on Mayan princesses, cacao seeds and most notably, chocolate. This section of the book is what gives it its identity. Combined with the colorful illustrations by Lisa Fields, the story is sure to appeal to children. Aztec and Mayan images are juxtaposed against images of Sabrina and her grandmother in various settings--at school, at the outdoor market, and at the dinner table. The reader gets fascinating lessons on the process of making chocolate, and the author describes it in a manner that would make any reader crave for more. Sometimes, it's fairly easy to predict a book's future, and in this case, I can't help but think that Grandma's Chocolate/El Chocolate de Abuelita will win awards. The bilingual book is unique, the character interactions are touching, and most importantly, the plot will captivate any child who has ever taken a joyous bite of chocolate. Mara Price has written a delightfully delicious tale that will educate and entertain.