My Tata's Remedies: Los Remedios de Mi Tata (Bilingual English/Spanish)

BLGr 2-4--A boy learns about making and applying herbal remedies from his grandfather, Tata, in this warm portrait of a loving Latino family. While Aaron spends the day at his grandparents' home, various neighbors drop by and ask for help with small ailments and injuries--a bee sting, itchy feet, an eye infection. Tata treats each one with an herbal tea, poultice, wrap or other application, then repeats the comforting Spanish refrain "Sana, sana, colita de rana, si no sanas hoy, sanaras manana." All are grateful and stay for empanadas and hot chocolate, and the story closes with Aaron expressing his gratitude for the lessons and his intention to practice making his Tata's remedies. This is a lovely intergenerational story that could have benefitted from some additional back matter about curanderas; a glossary offers definitions and pictures of each plant mentioned in the story, but there is no information about the family's cultural heritage, the origins of the remedies Tata employs, or the region where the story takes place. A disclaimer notes that readers should not take the text as medical advice; good thing, as one or two of the maladies Tata treats seem serious enough to warrant medical attention (a neighbor's burn, which the text indicates is mild but appears deep in the illustration, and a child's spiking fever). Realistic watercolor illustrations are kid-friendly but occasionally unsettling as the neighbors show up with their various ailments. Nevertheless, the bilingual text is strong, and the story will appeal to those looking for loving intergenerational relationships and Latino family traditions. VERDICT A strong choice for larger collections or those in need of grandparent stories.--Amy Martin, Oakland Public Library, CA

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"[Roni Capin] Rivera-Ashford offers another semiautobiographical and child-friendly recounting of the importance of sharing intergenerational wisdom, this time accompanied by Castro L.'s expressive illustrations. ... So many cultural treasures are dependent on word-of-mouth transmission, and this story encourages grandparents to lovingly pass on their knowledge to eager grandchildren and family members." —Kirkus Reviews

"In our overprescribed, overstimulated, overscheduled lives, author Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford reminds us about family traditions, cross-cultural and inter-generational support, building community, and taking the time to share, listen, and heal one another. ... Illustrator Antonio Castro L.'s signature style - minutely detailed, meticulously thorough, richly colored - enhances the realism of Rivera-Ashford's story.

Aaron could be part of your family, or your nearby neighbor; Tata could be your grandfather (if you were so lucky), or he could be a valued part of your wider community. Together, writer and artist capture the every day ... and celebrate the Santo remedios - magical cures - whether medicinal, cultural, emotional, and otherwise, that we can all share with one another." —Terry Hong, Smithsonian Book Dragon Blog

"Remarkable, realistic watercolor illustrations reveal the emotions felt by the sufferers, while the bilingual text conveys Tata's expertise in alleviating their discomfort and in teaching his grandson about natural remedies. ... An illuminating glimpse into a tradition not often addressed in children's literature." —Maryann Owen, Booklist

"My Tata's Remedies" is a beautiful bicultural book presenting healing herb lore laced with love in an Hispanic tradition, with roots in the American Southwest. —Midwest Book Review

"In both English and Spanish, the book is practical and useful, as well as entertaining for children." —Molly Kincaid, Edible Baja Arizona

"The book sheds light on the rich knowledge of how our natural environment offers solutions to our ailments ... through this process, we see how children are apprenticed to the knowledge that is passed down through generations of healers." —Laura Roy, International Literacy Association

"Told in both Spanish and English, this book is a great introduction to natural healing practices and the use of medicinal plants." —Kiss The Book

"In this beautifully constructed book, the topic of traditional natural medicine takes center stage ... Roni Rivera-Ashford portrays a loving intergenerational relationship between Tata Gus and Aaron, one in which wisdom and knowledge are patiently passed down from grandfather to grandson." —Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs

"Rather than a typical European "beginning-conflict-resolution" children's story that tells rather than shows, this beautiful book shows how oral teaching of traditional herbal remedies is transmitted across generations of community." —Beverly Slapin, De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children