“Making dessert with Abuelita keeps a family tradition alive.”Kirkus Reviews

By:Adriana Hernndez Bergstrom

There’snothing more special than Abuelita’s special plate.

Anita is making flan for Abuelos birthday, but when she accidentally breaks Abuelitas treasured flan serving plate from Cuba, she struggles with what to do. Anita knows its right to tell the truth, but what if Abuelita gets upset? Worried that she has already ruined the day, Anita tries to be the best helper. After cooking the flan, they need a serving dish! Anita comes up with a wonderful solution.

Complete with a glossary of Spanish terms and a traditional recipe for flan, Abuelita and I Make Flan is a delicious celebration of food, culture, and family.

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Downloadables

Download the CoverDownload the Recipe CardDownload the Activity Kit

Author & Illustrator

Adriana Hernndez Bergstrom, author

Adriana Hernndez Bergstrom is a Cuban-American artist and childrens literature author-illustrator. She has studied at University of Miami and RISD. Adriana enjoys languages and lives in Florida. Abuelita and I Make Flan is her debut picture book.

Read more aboutAdriana.

Awards & Honors

• Coming soon!

Editorial Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

Making dessert with Abuelita keeps a family tradition alive.

Anita cant wait to make flan with her grandmother for the first time as a special treat for her abuelos birthday. Abuelita has arthritis, so she needs Anitas help in the kitchen. Shes so excited to get started that she drops the very special plate that Abuelita always uses for the flan. Worried, Anita tries to keep the broken plate a secret as she and Abuelita begin making the treat. While theyre cooking together, Abuelita shares stories of other flan recipes in the family and the people who made them special. Anita finally comes clean about the plate and is surprised when, instead of being mad, Abuelita reminds her that people are more important than things and that Abuelo will love the flan because it was made with loveeven if its served on a different plate. Written in a mix of English and Spanish, the story emphasizes the importance of family customs and the connections between generations. Expressive illustrations create a sense of emotion throughout. Anitas grandparents are from Cuba and have light brown skin; Anita has lighter skin and dark brown hair.

A tale as sweet as flan.

School Library Journal

Anita helps Abuelita make a special flan for Abuelos birthday in this lovely picture book filled with family and love. Anita is Abuelitas special helper, and as they prepare to make flan, Anita grabs the special glass plate that it will go on, but it falls to the ground and shatters. While they make the flan, the grandmother shares special stories and remembers her time in Cuba. The flan is almost done, and Anita must confess the plate is brokenbut Abuelita knows just what to say. Sweet, expressive illustrations welcome young readers to join Anita and her family in their cozy home full of love and memories. The concise text sprinkled with Spanish words perfectly conveys Anitas thoughts and feelings, and the conversations between family members are full of love and support. A recipe for cheese flan, page of translations, and photos of the authors family accompany the text.

VERDICT: A warm celebration of family and traditions, this title is a wonderful addition to picture book collections for children

Children’s Literature

This is a great book to use in Spanish class as well as for occasion such as Spanish Heritage Month as well as Grandparents Day festivities since the book does mention Grandparents Day at one point in the story. Anita is a little girl who loves baking, especially when she can do this with her abuela. Even more special is making traditional Cuban desserts such as flan, using her grandmas treasured serving plate from Cuba. When Anita breaks the plate by accident, she wonders how her grandma would feel and tries to save the day by being a good helper to grandma.The pictures are wonderful and the changing of the text between English and Spanish is a great way to practice learning and speaking new Spanish words. The recipe for flan also adds a great book extension, since one can make the flan at home after reading about it in the story. Another extension would be to sing Happy Birthday in Spanish after you have finished reading the story, to learn the song in Spanish and practice more Spanish words. All in all, this is a great addition to any lessons about Latino culture, family, as well as to practice speaking Spanish. A great addition to any personal or school library for young learners.

Details

Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-62354-265-8

Spanish Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-62354-399-0

E-book
ISBN: 978-1-63289-889-0

Spanish E-book
ISBN: 978-1-63289-371-0

Ages:5-8
Page count: 32
9 x 11

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