HOW TO EAT A MANGO

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.