The Ingredients that Make Us / Los ingredientes que nos hacen lo que somos

Young Luis lives in Chicago but regularly visits his grandmother and other relatives in Puerto Rico. He’s excited because on this trip he is going to learn how to make caldo santo, a special soup with lots of ingredients, some of which grow in Abuela’s yard.

Before they can start making the traditional dish, Luis will need to climb a palm tree in her backyard to harvest a coconut! With help from his cousin, he learns how to reach the fruit needed for the meal. From the top of the swaying tree, Luis can see houses, colorful vegetation—and the ocean that extends from his grandmother’s home to his on the mainland.

“To prepare caldo santo is to look into history,” Abuela says. She explains that the water in the soup is like the ocean that surrounds Puerto Rico; the pumpkin comes from the Taíno, the isle’s original, indigenous inhabitants; the beans, or gandules, were brought by African slaves and the coconut trees by the Spaniards. Putting them together in this special dish is a way to celebrate the people who lived before, those who “are still part of us.” Luis realizes that he may have grown up outside Puerto Rico, but the island remains inside him. This poignant bilingual picture book featuring Anne Vega’s illustrations depicting tropical life will encourage young readers to explore their own cultural heritage, all while enjoying Luis’ adventures on his island home.