Mia’s abuela (grandmother) comes to live with her family but doesn’t speak English. With the help of a parrot who repeats both English and Spanish words, they learn each other’s languages and develop a deeper relationship.
Mango, Abuela, and Me
Discuss the Book
Few Words. Pages 1–13
- Important Moment: Mia’s abuela (grandmother) comes to live with her family in the United States. They speak different languages, so they have a hard time getting to know each other.
- Ask and Share: What if you had family members who lived in a different place? What do you think a visit from them would be like? Would you be excited to see family members you never met before?
Learning Together. Pages 14–19
- Important Moment: Mia decides to teach her abuela how to speak English while her abuela teaches Mia how to speak Spanish.
- Ask and Share: Do you think Mia or her abuela ever feel frustrated when learning a new language? What strategies could they use to work through that feeling and keep going when things are difficult? Talk about a time that you used these strategies.
Mango Magic. Pages 20–25
- Important Moment: Mia buys a parrot, Mango, who repeats words in Spanish and English, to help her and her abuela learn each other’s languages.
- Ask and Share: How does Mango help Mia and her abuela learn each other’s languages? What helps you learn?
A Deep Connection. Pages 26–31
- Important Moment: Abuela learns a lot of English and Mia learns a lot of Spanish. Now they can talk with each other and have a deeper relationship.
- Ask and Share: How do you think Abuela feels now about living in a new place? Describe a time you experienced a difficult change, but kept going and overcame the challenge.