Review by Booklist Review
A young boy learns about natural remedies to cure illness and injuries in this picture book. Aaron's grandfather, Tata, is knowledgeable in the use of dried flowers, leaves, herbs and teas to ease a variety of physical problems for family members and neighbors. The boy assists his grandfather in helping people suffering from a wide range of conditions, including a bee sting, a toothache, a burn, and an eye infection. Aaron is put in charge of searching his grandfather's shelves, which are filled with numerous labeled bags and bottles. While Tata soothes his patients' ailments, Nana, Aaron's grandmother, comforts with her homemade empanadas and hot chocolate. Remarkable, realistic watercolor illustrations reveal the emotions felt by the sufferers, while the bilingual text conveys Tata's expertise in alleviating their discomfort and in teaching his grandson about natural remedies. A Glossary of Medicinal Herbs & Remedies follows the story and is accompanied by illustrations of the plants described, along with specific warnings where necessary. An illuminating glimpse into a tradition not often addressed in children's literature.--Owen, Maryann Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-A boy learns about making and applying herbal remedies from his grandfather, Tata, in this warm portrait of a loving Latino family. While Aaron spends the day at his grandparents' home, various neighbors drop by and ask for help with small ailments and injuries-a bee sting, itchy feet, an eye infection. Tata treats each one with an herbal tea, poultice, wrap or other application, then repeats the comforting Spanish refrain "Sana, sana, colita de rana, si no sanas hoy, sanarás mañana." All are grateful and stay for empanadas and hot chocolate, and the story closes with Aaron expressing his gratitude for the lessons and his intention to practice making his Tata's remedies. This is a lovely intergenerational story that could have benefitted from some additional back matter about curanderas; a glossary offers definitions and pictures of each plant mentioned in the story, but there is no information about the family's cultural heritage, the origins of the remedies Tata employs, or the region where the story takes place. A disclaimer notes that readers should not take the text as medical advice; good thing, as one or two of the maladies Tata treats seem serious enough to warrant medical attention (a neighbor's burn, which the text indicates is mild but appears deep in the illustration, and a child's spiking fever). Realistic watercolor illustrations are kid-friendly but occasionally unsettling as the neighbors show up with their various ailments. Nevertheless, the bilingual text is strong, and the story will appeal to those looking for loving intergenerational relationships and Latino family traditions. VERDICT A strong choice for larger collections or those in need of grandparent stories.-Amy Martin, Oakland Public Library, CA © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Aaron wants to learn about herbal remedies, so he watches Tata, his grandfather, help friends and neighbors all day long. People come looking for remedies for colds, burns, and toothaches--and Tata always has "just the cure." The bilingual text is repetitive in both English and Spanish. The realistic illustrations are also repetitive (a few are unintentionally humorous). Includes medicinal plant glossary. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Following My Nana's Remedies/Los Remedios De Mi Nana, illustrated by Edna San Miguel (2002), Rivera-Ashford offers another semiautobiographical and child-friendly recounting of the importance of sharing intergenerational wisdom, this time accompanied by Castro L.'s expressive illustrations. From a banged-up forehead to a fever in the middle of the night, there are many opportunities for Aaron to observe his tata sharing concern and good cheer as he dispenses remedies based primarily on medicinal herbs to neighbors and friends. A Latino nonsense ditty used to console children when they are sick or hurt comes in handy when Aaron's little brother's itchy feet need attention ("Heal, heal, little tail of a frog; if you don't heal today, you'll be healed tomorrow"). Readers will be glad to know that Nana from the earlier book makes an appearance, and they may even wish that they were prescribed her freshly made empanadas, which she shares with the patients as part of Tata's treatments. The large and colorful single-page illustrations successfully elicit empathy for those seeking relief from various maladies at Tata's door. Botanically correct depictions of the plants utilized in the remedies decorate the text pages and are duplicated in the appendix, where properties and usage are described in more detail than within the fully bilingual text. So many cultural treasures are dependent on word-of-mouth transmission, and this story encourages grandparents to lovingly pass on their knowledge to eager grandchildren and family members. (Bilingual picture book. 4-11) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
