Velasquez, Eric. Grandma's gift. New York: Walker, 2010. ISBN: 978-0-8027-2082-5
Author Website: http://www.ericvelasquez.com/
Media: Oil Paint, Realistic in Style
Award: Pura Belpre Award for Illustrations, 2011
Use of Simile: (p. 8) “Christmastime in El Barrio was always like magic.”
Use of Onomatopoeia: (p. 8) “stalls rumbled and shook whenever a train passed overhead.”
Special Notations: 2010 Copyright Date
Curricular Connection: Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards for California, Grades 5 and 6, 1.0: Artistic Perception, 3.0: Historical and Cultural Context, 4.0: Aesthetic Valuing.
Annotation: Velasquez shares a childhood memory of spending his Christmas vacation with his grandmother in El Barrio. During the week together, young Velasquez and his grandmother visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art and make pasteles, a traditional Puerto Rican dish.
Personal Reaction: This story reminded me of the challenges of assimilating to a new country. For an immigrant, everyday life is more difficult than it is for the natives. Immigrants face language barriers, cultural differences and may be homesick for their native traditions and food. Velasquez introduced readers to his grandmother and her Puerto Rican heritage in Grandma’s Records; in Grandma’s Gift, Velasquez shares his grandmother’s Christmas tradition of making pasteles, a meat pastry wrapped in banana leaves. Velasquez writes a portion of the story’s dialogue in Spanish with English translations, giving readers a taste of life in El Barrio as Velasquez and his grandmother shop for the ingredients for pasteles: “Se ve bueno. Dame cuatro libras,” Grandma said (p. 14). Readers also get a taste of Puerto Rican culture on the pages where Velasquez writes step by step instructions for wrapping the pasteles. Velasquez’s illustrations for these pages are close up, tight shots showing only Grandma’s hands and the food. This part of the story truly provides readers with a glimpse into Puerto Rican cooking and holiday traditions. More Puerto Rican culture is shared during a visit to the Metropolitan Museum where Grandma recognizes fellow countryman Juan de Parega in a Diego Velazquez painting. A brief art history lesson and information about composer Rafael Hernandez at the back of the book further emphasize Puerto Rican contributions to the arts and we come to understand not only the author’s connection to his heritage, but to appreciate another culture. Grandma’s gift is a set of art supplies that turn out to be quite the perfect gift for the young future illustrator.
