I Love Saturdays y Domingos

by Alma Flor Ada (Author) Elivia Savadier (Illustrator)

I Love Saturdays y Domingos
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

Saturdays and Sundays are very special days for the child in this story. On Saturdays, she visits Grandma and Grandpa, who come from a European-American background, and on Sundays -- los domingos -- she visits Abuelito y Abuelita, who are Mexican-American. While the two sets of grandparents are different in many ways, they also have a great deal in common -- in particular, their love for their granddaughter.

While we follow our narrator to the circus and the pier, share stories from her grandparents' pasts, and celebrate her birthday, the depth and joy of both cultures are conveyed in Spanish and English. This affirmation of both heritages will speak to all children who want to know more about their own families and ethnic backgrounds

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School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-A little girl recounts the joy of her weekends, Saturdays spent with her Euro-American Grandma and Grandpa and Sundays (los domingos) with Abuelito and Abuelita, her Mexican-American grandparents. She does different things in each place and goes on different outings: off to the circus, to the pier, out floating balloons or flying kites. She hears different stories that reflect her grandparents' heritages. However, on her birthday, it is clear that both sets of relatives are united in their love of their granddaughter. Lively, childlike prose that integrates Spanish words flawlessly and understandably makes this a winner for storytimes. Savadier's watercolor cartoon illustrations are bright, clear, and stylistically reminiscent of Lillian Hoban's work. Paired with books like Carmen Santiago Nodar's Abuelita's Paradise (Albert Whitman, 1992), or even such old standbys as Helen Buckley's Grandfather and I (Lothrop, 1994), this book will make a strong statement about cultural diversity and the universality of love.-Ann Welton, Grant Elementary School, Tacoma, WA Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review
Through this affectionate and revealing portrait of a bilingual girl's weekend visits to her two sets of grandparents, Ada (Where the Flame Trees Bloom) and Savadier (A Bedtime Story) prove that straddling two worlds can be a blessing rather than a hardship. The left of each spread depicts the narrator spending Saturdays with her paternal grandparents, with whom she speaks English; on the right, she passes los domingos (Sundays) with her Mexican-American Abuelito and Abuelita and converses in Spanish. The situations in the two households share enough similarities that readers can extrapolate the meaning of the Spanish words in context. For instance, on one spread, the colors of the balloons her paternal grandparents give her also appear in the kite that her Abuelito makes for her. Each pairing makes for a loving comparison and contrast, enlivened by Savadier's graceful, warm-toned watercolor spot illustrations. At book's end, both sets of grandparents coordinate a cooperative gift for the girl's birthday. The balance tips slightly in Abuelito and Abuelita's favor, in terms of fun and exoticism (e.g., Grandpa and Grandma watch a video about the circus while the Mexican-American grandparents "take me to a real circus"). Youngsters, however, will come away with the idea that this girl is very lucky to have four such interesting people who love her. Ages 4-8. (Jan.) Copyright 2001 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.
Alma Flor Ada
Alma Flor Ada was born in Camaguey, Cuba. She has studied and taught in Spain, Peru, and the United States. Her children's books have been published in Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Spain, and the United Sates. A recipient of the Marta Salotti Gold Medal (Argentina) and the Christopher Award (United States), Alma Flor Ada has four children and three grandchildren. She lives in San Francisco, from where she embarks on many trips to places all over the world to look for the nature that she loves.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780689874093
Lexile Measure
510
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date
September 01, 2004
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV011030 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Hispanic & Latino
Library of Congress categories
Spanish language materials
Bilingual
Grandparents
Mexican Americans
Georgia Children's Book Award
Nominee 2005 - 2005
Golden Sower Award
Nominee 2006 - 2006
Americas Award for Children & Young Adult Literature
Commended 2002 - 2002

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