My Nana's Remedies/ Los Remedios De Mi Nana
Nana helps grandkids feel better in sweet bilingual book.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that My Nana's Remedies/ Los Remedios De Mi Nana, by Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford, shares remedies for common childhood complaints as Nana takes care of her two grandchildren. The book highlights intergenerational relationships, the importance of communicating cultural knowledge, and the variety of cultural and tribal heritages that one person can carry. The two children sometimes feel a bit sick or sad, but Nana always helps them. There's some gender stereotyping, with Nana always in a dress and a caretaker role.
What's the Story?
In Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford's MY NANA'S REMEDIES/LOS REMEDIOS DE MI NANA, a little girl narrates the many ways that her Latina nana takes care of her and her brother when they aren't feeling well.
Is It Any Good?
This sweet picture book shows the caring relationship between a Latina nana and her grandchildren, although the repetition and inconsistent rhyming can feel a bit forced. Of the two versions, the Spanish flows and rhymes more naturally. Nana is compassionate, and the little girl grateful for both the remedies and the relationship with her grandma.
The remedies shared in the story are more widely familiar than the plants and remedies in the glossary, which are specific to Mexico and the U.S. Southwest. The illustrations honor the diversity of a Mestizo heritage, hint at a Catholic heritage, and explore the Sonoran Desert landscape.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
My Nana's Remedies/ Los Remedios De Mi Nana talks about sharing traditions. What's something that you learned from someone in our family or community?
How does the little girl feel about her nana? Is there anyone in your life that helps you feel better? What do they do?
Many of the remedies were created by Native American tribes, what would you use to make a remedy? What would it be for? Why?
Book Details
- Author: Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford
- Illustrator: Edna San Miguel
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Cooking and Baking, Science and Nature
- Character Strengths: Communication, Compassion, Gratitude
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publisher: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Press
- Publication date: May 1, 2002
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 5 - 6
- Number of pages: 32
- Available on: Hardback
- Last updated: October 7, 2022
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