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Grandma's Gift

by Eric Velasquez
32p. 978-0-80272-082-5.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 3 This companion to "Grandma's Records"(Walker, 2001) is another memoir of Velasquez's boyhood visits with his grandmother in Spanish Harlem. This time it is Christmas. After helping to shop for ingredients and make her famous "pasteles" Eric and his grandmother venture from El Barrio to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The boy has a school assignment to complete and together they discover the work of Diego Velázquez, including the famous portrait of Juan de Pareja. The woman nurtures the boy's fascination with painting by giving him art supplies for Christmas. This beautifully illustrated slice-of-life is sprinkled with Spanish phrases (all translated into English) and rich details about Puerto Rican traditions and culture. Velasquez's full-bleed paintings transport readers to another time and place and expertly capture the characters' personalities and emotions. A gift, indeed.-"Virginia Walter, UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies" Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc.
In this story based on his childhood, Velasquez describes a memorable first visit with his grandmother to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There they see a portrait that serves as young Eric's inspiration for an artistic career. Realistic-looking oil paintings show scenes of New York, from the staid museum to the barrio's markets where Grandma buys ingredients for a Christmas feast.

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