Pockets of Love

By Yamile Saied Méndez

Illustrated by Sara Palacios

 

Publisher: ‎HarperCollins

Language: English

Hardcover: ‎40 pages

ISBN-10: ‎0063234971

ISBN-13: ‎978-0063234970

Reading age: ‎4 - 8 years

Grade level: ‎Preschool - 3

 

Sweet or savory.

 

Fried or baked.

 

Little pockets filled with love and a taste from home.

 

Grandma Monona always made the best empanadas for Mami’s birthday. But this year Monona is in heaven and Mami is sad. Her birthday won’t be the same without Monona.

 

Star and Sebi know they need a special birthday surprise to cheer up Mami. Maybe they can make Mami Monona’s empanadas themselves! But will they be able to capture the same magic as Monona’s empanadas if they don’t know her secret ingredient?

 

From Yamile Saied Méndez (acclaimed author of Where Are You From? and What Will You Be?) and Sara Palacios comes a moving and heartfelt picture book about the ways in which we carry those we’ve lost with us always—in pockets of love.

 

 

Review

"Cozy illustrations feel like a big hug, full of delicious details such as examples of other cuisines from around the world. The heartwarming tale beautifully depicts how love and tradition can create new memories, even in the face of loss... A celebration of family, culture, and the healing power of homemade empanadas."—Kirkus — Kirkus Reviews

 

"A heartwarming story reassuring readers that cooking cherished family recipes preserves precious memories while creating new ones." — School Library Journal

 

"Pura Belpré winner Méndez deals with death and loss sensitively and gently, showing children how to celebrate life and remember those no longer with us. A wonderful two-page spread, depicting and naming “pocket” foods from around the world, highlights cultural commonalities and the pleasure of sharing good food. In delicate, cheerful multimedia illustrations, Palacios (herself a Pura Belpré Honor Book winner) scatters musical notes, stars, hearts, and flowers, concretely illustrating the characters’ feelings and emotions." — Booklist

 

Yamile Saied Méndez is the author of many books for young readers and adults, including the award-winning picture books Where Are You From? and What Will You Be? She was born and raised in Rosario, Argentina, and now lives in a lovely valley surrounded by mountains in Utah with her husband, five children, two dogs, and a majestic cat. She’s a graduate of Voices of Our Nations and the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA writing for children and young adults program. She’s always trying new empanada recipes. Connect with her at yamilemendez.com.

 

Sara Palacios is the recipient of the 2012 Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor for her work on Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match/Marisol McDonald no combina. A native of Mexico, Sara earned BFA and MFA degrees in illustration from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She works with a variety of media such as collage, ink, and digital artwork.