cover image Clara and the Curandera/Clara y la curandera

Clara and the Curandera/Clara y la curandera

Monica Brown, illus. by Thelma Muraida. Arte Público/Piñata, $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-55885-700-1

In this bilingual story, Clara is grumpy about her schoolwork, chores, and sharing toys with her siblings. Her mother sends her to a “curandera,” who instructs her to take out the neighbor’s trash, read five books for school instead of one, and give her toys to her brothers and sisters. Clara finds that her frown soon disappears. Muraida depicts Clara’s transformation with rich, celebratory pinks and blues, though her characters’ faces can feel wooden. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)