Family gatherings often promise to be fruitful for grandkids, but they generally don’t offer much in the way of surprises. When the charming family at the center of Icy Watermelon / Sandía fría gathers to enjoy a watermelon and some family fun, they find that even something so simple can create a treat that the whole family enjoys.
Hugo, María, and Sarita enjoy spending time with their abuelos. And they in turn enjoy teasing their grandchildren with adivinanzas, little riddles that make the children giggle and smile even while leading them to think about the world in new ways.
So when Grandpa begins to reminisce about his own father, and about the watermelons they raised long ago, the three youngsters recognize yet another curious adivinanza in the telling: could their easygoing, jovial abuelo, with his grey hair and great big tummy, really have been a shy young man once? And what do those long-gone watermelons of many years back have to do with the family they are now?
Together author Mary Sue Galindo and illustrator Pauline Rodriguez Howard present a delightfully sweet (even juicy!) tale for readers aged 3 to 7—a story that also carries the seeds of family tradition for them to plant and cultivate in some future summer.
Commended Title, 2000 Américas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature
Named a 2001 Parents’ Choice Approved Winner
Finalist, Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award
“This is a heartwarming story of three generations of one Hispanic American family gathered together on a summer night. As they sit on the porch enjoying icy cold watermelon, the grandparents tell stories and make up riddles to entertain the children. Beautiful and tenderly rendered pastel illustrations capture the love among the family members while portraying an average, modern-day Hispanic family. The Spanish text is rich in Mexican American texture and reads very naturally.”—Publishers Weekly
“The Spanish text is rich in Mexican American texture and reads very naturally. Highly recommended for any library or bookstore serving Hispanics.”—Críticas
“In a joyful bilingual picture book, three Latino children share riddles and stories with their parents and grandparents as they eat watermelon on Sunday afternoon on the porch in the country.”—Booklist
“This simple, nostalgic story evokes a picture of cross-generational family love.”—School Library Journal
MARY SUE GALINDO lives with her family in Laredo, Texas, where she teaches at Laredo Community College. This is her first book.
PAULINE RODRIGUEZ HOWARD has a BFA in Art from the University of Houston and attended the Glassell School of Art. She is a member of the Central Texas Pastel Society and has work in several art galleries and collections. She has illustrated several books, including Diane Gonzales Bertrand’s Family / Familia (Piñata Books, 1999). She lives and works in San Antonio, Texas.
AR Quiz #: 42457
ATOS English: 2.9
ATOS Spanish: 2.9
ATOS IL: LG
