SQUAWK OF SPANISH

A young Latine boy struggles to speak Spanish with his grandmother.

Every Sunday, Max helps Abuela bake. His grandmother speaks only Spanish, but they communicate through the sweet treats they whip up: polvorones, cocadas, and tres leches. Plus, they have help from Abuela’s bilingual parrot, Lorito, who squawks reminders about what ingredients they need ("Arroz," "Leche"). Max knows he should try harder to speak Spanish, but his cousins make fun of him, which makes him self-conscious. “My Rs won’t roll. My words knot in my throat,” Max says. One Sunday, Lorito is at church (he likes to perch nearby and sing along to hymns), so Max and Abuela are on their own. Max confronts his fears and attempts to speak Spanish as they prepare arroz con leche—rice pudding—for a competition at the county fair. This time, he bridges the gap and bonds with Abuela in a new way: “My words tumble out dry and rusty, but I don’t mind anymore.” Galotta’s watercolor illustrations are warm and inviting, especially the depictions of Lorito, who’s by turn wise and endearing. With its effective use of figurative language, Aldeman’s matter-of-factly reassuring text will especially resonate with bilingual children feeling intimidated speaking their non-native tongue.

A tenderly triumphant tale of overcoming language barriers.