The Secret of the Plátano

by Luz Maria Mack (Author) Stephany Mesa (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

Under the full moon, Abuela leads an enchanted dance, bows to the sky and the night winds, and helps her curious grandson discover the rhythm of his heartbeat while listening to the great secret of the plátanos.

At first his tiny ears couldn't hear it, but Abuela shares that she can't teach something that only her heart knows. This loving and tender story of the magical union between a grandmother and her grandson was penned by Dominican author, Luz Maria Mack, and inspired by a dream where she and her Abuela met again to dance and share the secrets of the plátanos.

Sometimes the secrets of life are written in nature, under the stars, and in the sounds of the whispering leaves.

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Hardcover
$18.99

Kirkus

An evocative and earnest nighttime reverie.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1--A young boy and his abuela enjoy a beautiful evening under plátano leaves in the Dominican Republic, dancing and sharing the love they have for each other and for nature all around them. As he watches and follows his abuela in dance, he strains to listen to the music she is following. His grandmother guides him as he hears his heartbeat and the sounds of nature and she shares with him the secret of the love that helps things grow--the same love that will one day make him grow tall as well. The vivid nighttime illustrations are bursting with fresh breezes that sway the plátano leaves, radiating stars, and lush green vegetation, cool and bright in the night. The luminous conversation emphasizes certain words in larger, curvier lettering. Swirling music notes dance around them as the young boy enjoys this happy moment with his beloved grandmother. VERDICT A good choice for most picture book collections.--Selenia Paz

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781953859235
Lexile Measure
460
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Soaring Kite Books
Publication date
September 06, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV029010 - Juvenile Fiction | Nature & the Natural World | Environment
JUV030040 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Caribbean & Latin America
Library of Congress categories
Dance
Picture books
Grandparent and child
Bananas

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