Review by Booklist Review
Anyone from a mango-growing culture can relate to the idea that eating mangoes requires skill and knowledge germane to that culture and its regard for this magnificent fruit. In this Venezuelan rendition of that idea, Carmen does not like eating mangoes, because they are sticky and stringy. So Abuelita sets about instilling an appreciation by establishing mangoes as more than fruit. The leaves of the mango tree carry the loving voice of Mami, and the roots rumble their gratitude to the earth for giving us life. The tree branches are strong like Abuelita's arms, and the new green mango fruit grows golden like the sun--and like Carmen. Even the stringy fibers that get stuck in our teeth are a reminder of people and traditions. This colorful, sensational tribute to the mango is filled with the author's nostalgia for home and her childhood, and it will resonate with adults who share this sweet book with young readers while enjoying a sticky, ripe mango and conjuring up their own versions of how to eat one.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A grandchild resists helping to harvest mangoes at the start of a layered picture book that melds concepts of counting, senses, and values. When Carmencita expresses a dislike of the fruit, Abuelita answers, "There's more to a mango, mi amor," and, counting in Spanish, explains five sensory steps to appreciating the tree's bounty. "Uno, we listen" to the tree's rustling leaves and the roots drinking up life; "Dos, we look up" at the tall, strong branches. For each numeral, Carmencita makes connections to family ("Tres," smelling, helps the child remember Abuelito's favorite blooms). En route to "Cinco, we taste it," Santos, in her picture book debut, offers richly embodied descriptions of how, through the taste of the mango, "the songs of our people dance on your tongue." Sunny, shape-based digital images by Perdomo radiate joyous warmth and nurturing. An author's note connects the story to Santos's childhood in Venezuela. A Spanish edition publishes simultaneously. Ages 4--8. (July)
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Review by Horn Book Review
Carmencita dislikes picking up rotten mangoes that have fallen from Abuelita's tree. She also doesn't like eating mangoes: they are sticky, and the strings get stuck between her teeth. But Abuelita shows Carmencita that there is more to a mango than its fruit. It takes all five senses to appreciate a mango, as Santos describes in lush language. Listen to "long green leaves...in the breeze" and "the roots stirring"; look at the tree's branches; smell the fruit's "honey-sweet smell"; feel the "soft and firm" skin; and taste it: "The sweetness of Mama Earth is endless when you bite a ripe mango. Your mouth fills with thick juices and pulp. Tiny strings play between your teeth, and the songs of our people dance on your tongue." The heart of the story is the intergenerational love between Carmencita and Abuelita, which radiates warmth and comfort. Double-page spreads make up a large portion of Perdomo's rich, colorful digital art, bright and full of musicality and movement. An illustration of Abuelita eating a mango with ancestors dancing on her tongue especially showcases the art's meaning. An author's note explains how Santos was inspired by her own childhood in Venezuela. Simultaneously published in Spanish as Como se come un mango. Yesica HurdJuly/August 2024 p.114 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A ripe mango is so much more than just a delicious fruit. Abuelita tasks Carmen, a young Latine girl, with picking mangoes. Carmen isn't pleased with the chore; she doesn't like mangoes--they're too sticky, and the fibers get stuck between her teeth! But Abuelita urges Carmen to truly look at and listen to the mango tree and its fruit. The wind blowing through the leaves of the tree makes Carmen think of her mother's singing, while the stirring roots, which seem to call out "¡Gracias! Thank you!" to Mamá Earth, remind Carmen of how she gives thanks at bedtime. And Carmen learns to see herself and Abuelita in the tree's tall branches: "We are strong, too! You can carry me, and we can carry fruits." With more reflection and a lesson on how to peel a ripe mango, Carmen delights in the fruit and the time spent with her grandmother. Santos' supple text is accompanied by Perdomo's exuberant artwork, which makes beautiful use of visual metaphor: As Abuelita speaks to the joy of eating a mango, we see juice spurt out from her mouth while miniature people cavort ("Tiny strings play between your teeth, and the songs of our people dance on your tongue"). Readers will appreciate the warmth and wisdom woven throughout this touching story of discovery and familial love. A heartwarming--and delectable--narrative that readers will treasure. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
