Publisher's Weekly Review
Gr 2-This is a heartwarming story of three generations of one Hispanic American family gathered together on a summer night. As they sit on the porch enjoying icy cold watermelon, the grandparents tell stories and make up riddles to entertain the children. Beautiful and tenderly rendered pastel illustrations capture the love among the family members while portraying an average, modern-day Hispanic family. The Spanish text is rich in Mexican American texture and reads very naturally. Highly recommended for any library or bookstore serving Hispanics. M.O.B. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
Ages 3^-8. In a joyful bilingual picture book, three Latino children share riddles and stories with their parents and grandparents as they eat watermelon on Sunday afternoon on the porch in the country. Abuelo remembers that when he was a boy, he helped his father harvest watermelons and sell them along the highway and in the barrios. In fact, that's how Abuelo met his wife. When her mother sent her to buy a watermelon, her dog jumped in the truck and went after Abuelo, and he dropped the fruit. His face was "redder that the watermelon lying all over the street," but he was in love. The text appears in both English and Spanish on each page, and Howard's full-page, realistic pastel illustrations--in sepia tones for the story from the past, in bright shades of red and blue for the present--show the warm family close-up, sharing food, talk, and laughter. --Hazel Rochman