Ages 4^-7. Liliana has one grandmother who lives down the street from her in America, and one who lives in another country and speaks only Spanish. Mama Gabina keeps pet birds, and Mima has a cat named Suzy; Mama Gabina loves gardening, and Mima likes to sew; Mama Gabina has a big meal at lunchtime, and Mima has a small lunch. What counts most, of course, is that her grandmothers love her: no matter how much they differ otherwise, in that respect they are the same. Torres' peaceful watercolors, in pale greens and blues and yellows, are just right for this soothing picture of intergenerational relationships, which will leave children thinking about their ties with their own grandparents. --Stephanie Zvirin

From Torres (Subway Sparrow, 1993), a book that offers perhaps a too-rosy portrayal of the relationships a girl has with her two grandmothers. Liliana spends time in each of her grandmother's homes, one just down the street, one in another country. Through descriptions of Liliana's time in the women's homesŽunder scrutiny is the weather, food, activities, and personalitiesŽtwo very different styles of living become apparent. Mima lives in town, does yoga and crossword puzzles, and makes quilts (on a sewing machine that isn't plugged in and has no other visible works). Mama Gabina lives in ``another country'' (South America), keeps a parrot, talks to her flowers, dances, and snores through naps. In a world that may exist only in picture books, Liliana's bedroom is neat and spare, with only one object on the nightstand, and with only a few toys and books. The interiors of the grandmothers' homes are similarly spare, without VCRs, TVs, telephones, or other appliances. The lesson in comparisons is heavy and long; the illustrations are bland, despite the care spent in making the homes distinct. All the characters are badly drawn; the cat, in particular, suffers from limbs that have odd angles and lines. (Picture book. 4-8)

One of Liliana's grandmothers lives in New England and the other in tropical Colombia. Liliana loves to visit them both and do different things with them: quilting and crossword puzzles with Mima, gardening and dancing with Mama Gabina. The illustrations amplify the text with carefully chosen details of the two cultures, and the warm colors convey the loving relationships. Also available in Spanish. From HORN BOOK Spring 1999, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Liliana has two grandmothers from different countries, with different interests, and who speak different languages. This story presents the common differences in North American and Latin American cultures through a figure that is very important to both. The simplicity of the story allows children to see cultural contrasts in a positive way. (PreS-Gr 2) (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.