cover image Grandma's Chocolate/El chocolate de abuelita

Grandma's Chocolate/El chocolate de abuelita

Mara Price, trans. into the Spanish by Gabriela Baeza Ventura, illus. by Lisa Fields, Arte Público/Piñata, $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-55885-587-8

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 as 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's 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. (Nov.)