El empacho de Isabel / Isabel’s Tummy Ache

“I went to Cuba to meet my grandma Macurí,” Isabel tells her classmates when asked about her summer. It was a long trip that involved two planes, a guagua—or bus, a train that carried everything from sugarcane to calves, and even a horse-drawn cart. Finally hugging her Abuelita was the most beautiful moment of her life!

Grandma made a cake to celebrate her birthday—and all the others she had missed—and Isabel ate three pieces! The party continued the next day with lots of delicious food, including a mango, oranges, watermelon and an entire pineapple! No wonder that by nightfall, Isabel’s tummy hurt! But her grandmother’s special jar of hugs and kisses, combined with a gentle massage, healed the girl’s aching belly.

Drawing on his own memories, Julio Molinete writes about traveling to a rural village in the mountains of Cuba and the natural healing methods practiced there.  Lively illustrations by Claudia Navarro depict the joy of reuniting with far-flung family. This bilingual book for children ages 5-9 will surely encourage them to write about their own summer adventures and time spent with family—while also serving as a cautionary tale against overeating!