Estas manos Manitas de mi familia

Gr 1-3-A girl introduces readers to her family, describing their characteristics through their hands. Her parents, grandparents, and siblings are all compared to a tree or a flower, and the symbolism of these plants is explained at the end of the book. Her mother's tender hands soothe her and give her warmth; they are like rose petals. Her father's hands are as strong as mahogany trees; her grandfather's hands are like majestic ceiba trees. Her family brings her peace, joy, love, wisdom, knowledge, courage, and determination, and in turn she promises that she will always do the same for them. Impressionistlike brushstrokes illuminate the pages and help to convey happiness, movement, and calm. Children will see that, as the narrator grows older, she uses her hands to provide the safety and comfort she was given as a child. Reading the book with family members will likely strengthen the impact of the words on young readers. VERDICT This beautiful book, filled with Hispanic tradition, can be paired with Sandra Cisneros's Hairs/Pelitos (Knopf, 1994).-Selenia Paz, Helen Hall Library, League City, TX (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Caraballo's bilingual tribute to family is couched in Caribbean and Central and South American symbolism associated with trees and flowers in Puerto Rico. From grandparents to siblings, the nurturing hands in the young protagonist's life are praised for their contributions to her well-being. Mom's hands are tender, like rose petals. Dad's hands keep her safe; they are strong, like mahogany trees. The Spanish prose is lyrical, but the English paragraphs begin with stilted literal translations: "Your hands, the strongest!. / Your hands, the friendliest." Soft pastels of pink, lavender, peach and blue are the dominant colors in Costello's impressionistic artwork. The illustrations capture the joyful intimacy of family relationships, from benevolent smiles to cherishing embraces. The flowers and trees are portrayed within the body of the text, with the exception of the ceiba tree, which accompanies a page on botanical symbolism. This page of symbols immediately follows the homage to the narrator's grandfather, making the ending abrupt and jarringreaders will feel the absence of any kind of conclusion or summation. In the end, the book unfortunately has the feel of a series of sentimental greeting cards. (Bilingual picture book. 6-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.