What do you think?
Rate this book
I Love Saturdays y Domingos
Saturdays and Sundays are very special days for the child in this story. A young girl enjoys the similarities and the differences between her English-speaking and Spanish-speaking grandparents. On Saturdays, she visits Grandma and Grandpa, who have a European-American background, and on Sundays -- los domingos -- she visits Abuelito y Abuelita, who are Mexican-American. While the two sets of grandparents are different in many ways, they also have a great deal in common -- in particular, their love for their granddaughter. While we follow our little narrator to the circus and the pier, share stories from her grandparents' pasts, and celebrate her birthday, the depth and joy of both cultures are conveyed in Spanish and English. This affirmation of both heritages will speak to all children who want to know more about their own families and ethnic backgrounds.
32 pages, Paperback
First published December 30, 1999
12 people are currently reading
551 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews
April 24, 2020
Both the text (the narrative) and the colourfully fun illustrations are evocative and engaging, a heartwarming presentation and depiction of a loving inter- and multiethnic extended family. The voice of the young narrator (a little girl who spends Saturdays with her European-American paternal grandparents and Sundays, los domingos, with her Mexican-American maternal grandparents) shines brightly and demonstrates the child's love and affection for both sets of grandparents, and the love the entire extended family has for one another. Although the grandparents do have some different cultural traditions, it is clearly demonstrated that while cultural differences do exist, they are often only skin-deep; both sets of grandparents also have a great deal in common.
This would be a wonderful book to share with children whose families are multiethnic, or with children who are interested in knowing more about their own families' ethnic backgrounds. I could also imagine using the book in a pre-school or grade one to three classroom setting, perhaps for a social studies or immigration unit.
The little girl's descriptions of her Sundays (her domingos) with her Mexican-American maternal grandparents contain quite a number of Spanish words and expressions. Personally, I love this aspect of the book, as I think it makes the story much more authentic-sounding (it would also be strange, indeed, if the narrative were to feature only English words and expressions, as this might give a false impression of implied superiority of the English language, of European-American culture). As a person who loves languages, I really enjoyed not only the liberal use of Spanish throughout the text, but also trying to figure out the meanings of the Spanish words and expressions, and their English counterparts (for the most part, I was quite successful). However, I do wish that Alma Flor Ada had provided a Spanish/English glossary at the back of the book. Some of the Spanish vocabulary and expressions were/are not all that easy to figure out from just the context of the narrative itself and could likely prove a bit confusing and frustrating for both children and adults who do not speak or read Spanish, or whose knowledge of Spanish is limited.
This would be a wonderful book to share with children whose families are multiethnic, or with children who are interested in knowing more about their own families' ethnic backgrounds. I could also imagine using the book in a pre-school or grade one to three classroom setting, perhaps for a social studies or immigration unit.
The little girl's descriptions of her Sundays (her domingos) with her Mexican-American maternal grandparents contain quite a number of Spanish words and expressions. Personally, I love this aspect of the book, as I think it makes the story much more authentic-sounding (it would also be strange, indeed, if the narrative were to feature only English words and expressions, as this might give a false impression of implied superiority of the English language, of European-American culture). As a person who loves languages, I really enjoyed not only the liberal use of Spanish throughout the text, but also trying to figure out the meanings of the Spanish words and expressions, and their English counterparts (for the most part, I was quite successful). However, I do wish that Alma Flor Ada had provided a Spanish/English glossary at the back of the book. Some of the Spanish vocabulary and expressions were/are not all that easy to figure out from just the context of the narrative itself and could likely prove a bit confusing and frustrating for both children and adults who do not speak or read Spanish, or whose knowledge of Spanish is limited.
April 19, 2011
The girl narrator of this story likes Saturdays because she visits her father’s parents and Sundays because that’s when she visits her mother’s parents, and then for her birthday both sides of the family come together to celebrate.
I really wish there had been a glossary of Spanish words in the back of the book, or an English-Spanish & Spanish-English dictionary/translation, but I’m ambivalent about that, given that I figured out all but a couple Spanish words on my own, and my knowledge of Spanish is paltry. So, the story did an excellent job of making the Spanish word meanings clear, and I’ll assume the English words as well.
One side of this girl’s family is European-American, and the other is Mexican-American, and Native American too. Some family history is told via the grandparents’ telling stories about their backgrounds to their granddaughter.
This is a terrific book for children learning English or Spanish, for bilingual children, and for multi-cultural children.
But, the best part of this book is the story. It’s a sweet story about love between grandparents and grandchild; the affection shown transcends the cultural heritage of the family members. It’s a lovely family story, about a loved and loving little girl.
I thoroughly enjoyed the illustrations. I particularly loved the scenes with the girl and her grandparents’ pets. The colors used were incredibly pleasing to the eye. I loved the matching dresses at the end and I loved the girl’s favorite color too. The illustrations perfectly complemented the story.
I really wish there had been a glossary of Spanish words in the back of the book, or an English-Spanish & Spanish-English dictionary/translation, but I’m ambivalent about that, given that I figured out all but a couple Spanish words on my own, and my knowledge of Spanish is paltry. So, the story did an excellent job of making the Spanish word meanings clear, and I’ll assume the English words as well.
One side of this girl’s family is European-American, and the other is Mexican-American, and Native American too. Some family history is told via the grandparents’ telling stories about their backgrounds to their granddaughter.
This is a terrific book for children learning English or Spanish, for bilingual children, and for multi-cultural children.
But, the best part of this book is the story. It’s a sweet story about love between grandparents and grandchild; the affection shown transcends the cultural heritage of the family members. It’s a lovely family story, about a loved and loving little girl.
I thoroughly enjoyed the illustrations. I particularly loved the scenes with the girl and her grandparents’ pets. The colors used were incredibly pleasing to the eye. I loved the matching dresses at the end and I loved the girl’s favorite color too. The illustrations perfectly complemented the story.
May 13, 2022
The little girl in this story visits her Grandma and Grandpa on Saturdays and her Abuelito y Abuelita on los domingos (Sundays). This book cleverly incorporates Spanish words by doing a kind of parallel story where the girl does something on Saturday (in English) and then on los domingos we see a similar activity or subject reflected but with Spanish words. Through it all, though, is the love she has for (and receives from) both sets of grandparents. In the end, a birthday party brings them all together, too. A very sweet and engaging story.
Read
February 3, 2009This is a cute story about the integration of two cultures; a little girl’s European-American ancestry and her Mexican-American ancestry. In this book, a little girl spends Saturdays with her European-American grandparents. On Sundays, the girl spends time with her Mexican-American grandparents: abuelito (grandfather) and abuelita (grandmother), who is actually Native American.
Throughout the story, the little girl spends time with her grandparents and learns about her family’s cultures. While we follow out narrator to the circus and the pier, share stories from her grandparents’ pasts, and celebrate her birthday, the presence and enjoyment of both cultures is evident.
What I really appreciate about this story is the way both European-American grandparents and Mexican-American grandparents enjoy similar activities. This notion provides a nice compare and contrast of cultures. In this story we see that European-American grandparents have a cat, while Mexican-American grandparents have a dog. Another example of the compare and contrast is the European-American grandparents make scrambled eggs and pancakes for breakfast while the Mexican-American grandparents make huevos rancheros. By examining the activities the narrator does with her different grandparents, the author establishes the universal language of what being a grandparent is all about (feeding the grandchild and playing with them) while keeping their identities separate.
My favorite moment of the story is when the narrator receives a dress from her European-American grandparents on her birthday and the same dress for her doll from her Mexican-American grandparents. This shows the reader that though the grandparents may be from different backgrounds, the lines of communication are open.
Overall, I Love Saturdays y domingos delivers a solid message of acceptance. Though I found the illustrations to be a little pedestrian, they capture the enjoyment that the narrator gets from being with her loved ones. The illustrations also add to the comprehension of the story when the narrator speaks about her Mexican-American grandparents since the Spanish language is intermixed with English.
Throughout the story, the little girl spends time with her grandparents and learns about her family’s cultures. While we follow out narrator to the circus and the pier, share stories from her grandparents’ pasts, and celebrate her birthday, the presence and enjoyment of both cultures is evident.
What I really appreciate about this story is the way both European-American grandparents and Mexican-American grandparents enjoy similar activities. This notion provides a nice compare and contrast of cultures. In this story we see that European-American grandparents have a cat, while Mexican-American grandparents have a dog. Another example of the compare and contrast is the European-American grandparents make scrambled eggs and pancakes for breakfast while the Mexican-American grandparents make huevos rancheros. By examining the activities the narrator does with her different grandparents, the author establishes the universal language of what being a grandparent is all about (feeding the grandchild and playing with them) while keeping their identities separate.
My favorite moment of the story is when the narrator receives a dress from her European-American grandparents on her birthday and the same dress for her doll from her Mexican-American grandparents. This shows the reader that though the grandparents may be from different backgrounds, the lines of communication are open.
Overall, I Love Saturdays y domingos delivers a solid message of acceptance. Though I found the illustrations to be a little pedestrian, they capture the enjoyment that the narrator gets from being with her loved ones. The illustrations also add to the comprehension of the story when the narrator speaks about her Mexican-American grandparents since the Spanish language is intermixed with English.
June 27, 2011
I liked the integration of Spanish words into the text and how the pages alternated back and forth between the child spending time with her two sets of grandparents.
The part of this book that made me uncomfortable were the few pages featuring the circus. The little girl talked about how she loved seeing the mama and baby elephant, the giraffes, lions and tigers in the live circus. When we reached this part in the story it provided a great opportunity to explain to my daughter why circuses create a very unnatural and cruel life for animals. It saddens me to read so many picture books where joy is expressed at seeing captured wild animals imprisoned in zoos and circuses.
The part of this book that made me uncomfortable were the few pages featuring the circus. The little girl talked about how she loved seeing the mama and baby elephant, the giraffes, lions and tigers in the live circus. When we reached this part in the story it provided a great opportunity to explain to my daughter why circuses create a very unnatural and cruel life for animals. It saddens me to read so many picture books where joy is expressed at seeing captured wild animals imprisoned in zoos and circuses.
September 28, 2016
Award winning author, Alma Flor Ada’s children’s book, "I Love Saturdays y domingos", is a heart warming story the depicts the love and affection the book’s young narrator has for her families heritage. Through out the book, the narrator describes the experiences she shares with both her European-American grandparents, and her Mexican –American grandparents, on Saturdays and Sundays (or domingos), respectively. She weaves the components of her family together by sharing with the reader parallel activities and experiences she has with her grandparents. For example, she describes how her European-American grandma makes her eggs and pancakes for breakfast, while her Mexican-American Abuelita makes her a traditional Mexican dish, huevos rancheros. In her description of each experience through out the book, the narrator expresses her unique adoration for each. Furthermore, the narrator’s use of both English and Spanish through out the book adds authenticity and further respect for each aspect of her culture.
The story shows children how one can appreciate and connect all aspects of their family’s heritage and culture. It could serve as a wonderful read aloud for students in Kindergarten or first grade and as a conversation starter on family history. Although it specifically highlights European-American and Mexican-American heritage, the stories relevance is not limited to students of those same backgrounds. I am confident that this book could be used with students of any background as a tool for building cultural awareness. Following the book, students could be encouraged to explore their own family’s unique heritage and share what they find special about their culture. As our student population continues to diversify, educators are faced with the increasing need to teach acceptance among students while encouraging them to celebrate their unique heritage. This book encourages the reader to see similarities between different cultures and shows that although they may have differences, each culture can, and should, be honored equally.
Alma Flor Ada has authored many works of realistic-fiction for children and adults. A list of all of her books and additional resources for teachers and parents can be found on her website http://almaflorada.com
The story shows children how one can appreciate and connect all aspects of their family’s heritage and culture. It could serve as a wonderful read aloud for students in Kindergarten or first grade and as a conversation starter on family history. Although it specifically highlights European-American and Mexican-American heritage, the stories relevance is not limited to students of those same backgrounds. I am confident that this book could be used with students of any background as a tool for building cultural awareness. Following the book, students could be encouraged to explore their own family’s unique heritage and share what they find special about their culture. As our student population continues to diversify, educators are faced with the increasing need to teach acceptance among students while encouraging them to celebrate their unique heritage. This book encourages the reader to see similarities between different cultures and shows that although they may have differences, each culture can, and should, be honored equally.
Alma Flor Ada has authored many works of realistic-fiction for children and adults. A list of all of her books and additional resources for teachers and parents can be found on her website http://almaflorada.com
June 19, 2025
This book was featured as one of the selections for the September 2011 Grandparents-themed reads for the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
I had actually placed this on my to-read list way back in April, based on a recommendation by Gundula. I hadn't gotten around to it until just now, though. It's a very interesting story and depicts the different tastes, cultures, and histories of a little girl's two sets of grandparents. In this story, she spends Saturdays with one set and Sundays (or domingos) with the other.
She loves them both very much and enjoys spending time with them. It depicts them as having similar interests (like circuses, pets and fish), although different in a lot of ways, too. One set of grandparents seems to be more active and outdoorsy than the other and that could serve as an opportunity to explain to young children that some grandparents are more healthy and mobile than others.
Overall, we liked this story and we enjoyed reading it together. The illustrations were very nice and we loved that the grandparents were so actively involved in their granddaughter's life.
This book was also selected for the November 2014 Dual/Multi Language stories for the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
I had actually placed this on my to-read list way back in April, based on a recommendation by Gundula. I hadn't gotten around to it until just now, though. It's a very interesting story and depicts the different tastes, cultures, and histories of a little girl's two sets of grandparents. In this story, she spends Saturdays with one set and Sundays (or domingos) with the other.
She loves them both very much and enjoys spending time with them. It depicts them as having similar interests (like circuses, pets and fish), although different in a lot of ways, too. One set of grandparents seems to be more active and outdoorsy than the other and that could serve as an opportunity to explain to young children that some grandparents are more healthy and mobile than others.
Overall, we liked this story and we enjoyed reading it together. The illustrations were very nice and we loved that the grandparents were so actively involved in their granddaughter's life.
This book was also selected for the November 2014 Dual/Multi Language stories for the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
October 25, 2009
Summary-
I Love Saturdays y Domingos was written for primary students. The author, Alma Flor Ada did a wonderful job integrating the American and Mexican cultures into this picture book. A young girl talks about her experiences of visiting her grandma and grandpa's house on Saturdays and visiting her Abuelito and Abuelita on domingos (Sundays). When she talks about her Grandma and Grandpa the text is written in English and when she talks about her visits with her other grandparents the text is written in Spanish and English. The young girl looks forward to both visits and the descriptions of her times with each family accurately depicts both cultures. At the end of the story, Alma Flor Ada beautifully brings both sides of the family together to celebrate her birthday. Both cultures are honored as the family sings happy birthday in Spanish and English.
Review-
This multicultural picture book does a wonderful job of integrating the Mexican-American cultures. By having the child visit her grandparents and celebrating her birthday, many children can relate to her character. Although I speak very little Spanish I was able to understand the Spanish in the book because it parallels the English text. The ink and watercolor illustrations are eye-catching and also do a wonderful job of showing the characters feelings and love towards her family. I would highly recommend using this book with students as a way to discuss all families and even more specifically ethnically diverse families.
I Love Saturdays y Domingos was written for primary students. The author, Alma Flor Ada did a wonderful job integrating the American and Mexican cultures into this picture book. A young girl talks about her experiences of visiting her grandma and grandpa's house on Saturdays and visiting her Abuelito and Abuelita on domingos (Sundays). When she talks about her Grandma and Grandpa the text is written in English and when she talks about her visits with her other grandparents the text is written in Spanish and English. The young girl looks forward to both visits and the descriptions of her times with each family accurately depicts both cultures. At the end of the story, Alma Flor Ada beautifully brings both sides of the family together to celebrate her birthday. Both cultures are honored as the family sings happy birthday in Spanish and English.
Review-
This multicultural picture book does a wonderful job of integrating the Mexican-American cultures. By having the child visit her grandparents and celebrating her birthday, many children can relate to her character. Although I speak very little Spanish I was able to understand the Spanish in the book because it parallels the English text. The ink and watercolor illustrations are eye-catching and also do a wonderful job of showing the characters feelings and love towards her family. I would highly recommend using this book with students as a way to discuss all families and even more specifically ethnically diverse families.
August 16, 2011
I don't think there are too many picture books out there that so seamlessly incorporates two different ethnic backgrounds. Alma Flor Ada has perfectly balanced this story between the English-speaking grandparents and the Spanish-speaking grandparents. In fact, the balance is so carefully and evenly maintained that it felt a little forced to me and made the story feel not quite as real. Although the love between both sets of grandparents and their granddaughter felt very real. I liked that part of the story a lot.
I also liked how the Spanish vocabulary was incorporated into the story. That felt very authentic as well. The translations to the Spanish text were worked so seamlessly into the story that you might not realize that's what they are. I do agree with other reviewers who have felt that it would have been nice to have a list of Spanish vocabulary words used in the story.
Overall this is a nice story about the grandparent/grandchild relationship incorporating two ethnic backgrounds. Pair this with The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster. 3.5 stars.
I also liked how the Spanish vocabulary was incorporated into the story. That felt very authentic as well. The translations to the Spanish text were worked so seamlessly into the story that you might not realize that's what they are. I do agree with other reviewers who have felt that it would have been nice to have a list of Spanish vocabulary words used in the story.
Overall this is a nice story about the grandparent/grandchild relationship incorporating two ethnic backgrounds. Pair this with The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster. 3.5 stars.
September 7, 2011
A little girl spends Saturdays with her Grandpa and Grandma. They are her father's parents. Her Grandparents tell stories of coming to America from Europe, selling newspapers in New York City, and relatives traveling to California in a large wagon. They have a pet cat, play with balloons, and look at fish in a tank. Los Domingos the little girl spends time with her Abuelito y Abuelita. They are her mother's parents. They tell stories about Mexico, working on a rancho, and having ties to American Indians. They have a pet dog, fly a kite, and go to the circus. But they all come together to celebrate the little girl's birthday.
I really enjoyed this story. Children will be able to make connections to the grandparents, family stories, and traditions. There are lots of Spanish phrases, which adds to the cultural elements of the book and could inspire readers to learn more.
I really enjoyed this story. Children will be able to make connections to the grandparents, family stories, and traditions. There are lots of Spanish phrases, which adds to the cultural elements of the book and could inspire readers to learn more.
October 24, 2012
Grade/interest level: Primary (1st-3rd grade)
Reading level: Lexile, 530L
Genre: Picture Book, Multicultural (Spanish words/phrases), Realistic Fiction
Main Characters: The granddaughter, Grandma, Grandpa, Abuelito, Abuelita
Setting: The home of Grandma and Grandpa and the home of Abuelito y Abuelita
POV: 1st Person from the granddaughter
This story is told from the viewpoint of a young girl of mixed descent. Her father’s parents are white, English speakers. Her mother’s parents are Spanish-speaking Latinos. The story is centered on how the young girl spends her weekends. Saturdays she spends with her paternal grandparents. Domingos (Sundays) she spends with her maternal grandparents. The book incorporates Spanish when the girl is with her abuelito and abuelita. The Spanish used is basic Spanish such as Como estas? (How are you?), Vamos (Let’s go), and Te gustan? (Do you like them?), amongst other common phrases. If the reader is not a Spanish speaker, inferring skills are required to understand the Spanish and a translator may be useful. The book follows the events that happen throughout the young girl’s weekend. At her grandparents house, she eats pancakes for breakfast, and with her abuelita she eats huevos rancheros. The weekends include similar activities done with each set of grandparents. For example, with her grandpa she watches the colorful fish in his aquarium. With her abuelito she goes to the pier at the beach and watches the sea life in the water. The book ends with the birthday festitivies of the young girl. Her grandparents get her a beautiful doll and her abuelito made her a dollhouse. Her two sets of grandparents worked together to give her a wonderful birthday surprise. At the end of the book, they sing both Happy Birthday and Las Mananitas, the traditional Mexican song for birthdays. The final illustrations show the combining of the two families and their traditions.
This is a book that I had used a couple of years ago for a unit I had planned for a bilingual endorsement course. The unit was on different types of families, and should I have the opportunity to teach a unit on this topic, I would love to use this book again as I think it fits wonderfully into that theme. I would also use this book to discuss culture, language, and identity. I think this book is wonderful for any students, but particularly Latino students. Even if a student is completely Latino, I think it is easy to relate to this young girl who merges two different cultures that make up her identity. All of my students will be people who live in the United States, and I think with that comes the challenge of finding the balance between the new culture and their home culture. This is a book I will definitely look forward to using should I teach in the primary grades.
Reading level: Lexile, 530L
Genre: Picture Book, Multicultural (Spanish words/phrases), Realistic Fiction
Main Characters: The granddaughter, Grandma, Grandpa, Abuelito, Abuelita
Setting: The home of Grandma and Grandpa and the home of Abuelito y Abuelita
POV: 1st Person from the granddaughter
This story is told from the viewpoint of a young girl of mixed descent. Her father’s parents are white, English speakers. Her mother’s parents are Spanish-speaking Latinos. The story is centered on how the young girl spends her weekends. Saturdays she spends with her paternal grandparents. Domingos (Sundays) she spends with her maternal grandparents. The book incorporates Spanish when the girl is with her abuelito and abuelita. The Spanish used is basic Spanish such as Como estas? (How are you?), Vamos (Let’s go), and Te gustan? (Do you like them?), amongst other common phrases. If the reader is not a Spanish speaker, inferring skills are required to understand the Spanish and a translator may be useful. The book follows the events that happen throughout the young girl’s weekend. At her grandparents house, she eats pancakes for breakfast, and with her abuelita she eats huevos rancheros. The weekends include similar activities done with each set of grandparents. For example, with her grandpa she watches the colorful fish in his aquarium. With her abuelito she goes to the pier at the beach and watches the sea life in the water. The book ends with the birthday festitivies of the young girl. Her grandparents get her a beautiful doll and her abuelito made her a dollhouse. Her two sets of grandparents worked together to give her a wonderful birthday surprise. At the end of the book, they sing both Happy Birthday and Las Mananitas, the traditional Mexican song for birthdays. The final illustrations show the combining of the two families and their traditions.
This is a book that I had used a couple of years ago for a unit I had planned for a bilingual endorsement course. The unit was on different types of families, and should I have the opportunity to teach a unit on this topic, I would love to use this book again as I think it fits wonderfully into that theme. I would also use this book to discuss culture, language, and identity. I think this book is wonderful for any students, but particularly Latino students. Even if a student is completely Latino, I think it is easy to relate to this young girl who merges two different cultures that make up her identity. All of my students will be people who live in the United States, and I think with that comes the challenge of finding the balance between the new culture and their home culture. This is a book I will definitely look forward to using should I teach in the primary grades.
January 15, 2011
I Love Saturdays y domingos is the story of a little girl who spends her weekends with her two sets of grandparents. Her American grandma and grandpa make her breakfast, watch movies with her, and tell her stories about their youth. Her Mexican abuelito y abuelita take her to the circus and the seashore, help her fly a kite, and tell her stories about growing up on the ranchero in Mexico.
I thought that this would be an excellent representation of multicultural literature. I struggle within myself with this one because I could be very critical, or not so critical. If you take the book for what it is, it demonstrates a little girl's ability to appreciate and love two sets of grandparents from different walks of life who both love her very much. Students reading this story who are bi-racial may be able to identify with this story and appreciate their multicultural families that much more. At times, the goal of making the two sides of the family seem equivalent seems a bit forced, but the message is a good one.
Okay, now I'm going to be critical, and if it's too much, feel free to disagree with me. I feel as though the Mexican grandparents not only did more with their granddaughter, but they were made out to be harder working people and were celebrated more in the end of the story. The book has many direct comparisons between the two sets of grandparents. For example, grandma and grandpa watch the circus on t.v. with their granddaughter, while abuelito and abuelita actually take their granddaughter to the circus. Grandpa buys granddaughter some balloons, while abuelito buys granddaughter a beautiful kite. Grandpa was a paperboy in his youth, while abuelito worked in the fields and was left in charge of his whole family at the age of twelve while his father looked for work in the U.S. Finally, on the granddaughter's birthday, she receives a new doll from her grandma and grandpa and a dollhouse AND new dress for herself from her abuelito and abuelita. The party commences with a pinata game and the singing of "Happy Birthday" and "Las mananitas." The lyrics for the traditional Mexican song are written out in both Spanish and English.
On the plus side, I like the fact that the author incorporates the Spanish language into the story. Even non-Spanish speaking readers can understand the words since she is basically restating what she already wrote. I hope that I'm wrong about assumptions I am making about the Mexican grandparents being made out as the better grandparents. Maybe I'm just being too critical.
What do you think?
I thought that this would be an excellent representation of multicultural literature. I struggle within myself with this one because I could be very critical, or not so critical. If you take the book for what it is, it demonstrates a little girl's ability to appreciate and love two sets of grandparents from different walks of life who both love her very much. Students reading this story who are bi-racial may be able to identify with this story and appreciate their multicultural families that much more. At times, the goal of making the two sides of the family seem equivalent seems a bit forced, but the message is a good one.
Okay, now I'm going to be critical, and if it's too much, feel free to disagree with me. I feel as though the Mexican grandparents not only did more with their granddaughter, but they were made out to be harder working people and were celebrated more in the end of the story. The book has many direct comparisons between the two sets of grandparents. For example, grandma and grandpa watch the circus on t.v. with their granddaughter, while abuelito and abuelita actually take their granddaughter to the circus. Grandpa buys granddaughter some balloons, while abuelito buys granddaughter a beautiful kite. Grandpa was a paperboy in his youth, while abuelito worked in the fields and was left in charge of his whole family at the age of twelve while his father looked for work in the U.S. Finally, on the granddaughter's birthday, she receives a new doll from her grandma and grandpa and a dollhouse AND new dress for herself from her abuelito and abuelita. The party commences with a pinata game and the singing of "Happy Birthday" and "Las mananitas." The lyrics for the traditional Mexican song are written out in both Spanish and English.
On the plus side, I like the fact that the author incorporates the Spanish language into the story. Even non-Spanish speaking readers can understand the words since she is basically restating what she already wrote. I hope that I'm wrong about assumptions I am making about the Mexican grandparents being made out as the better grandparents. Maybe I'm just being too critical.
What do you think?
April 22, 2018
“I love Saturdays and Domingos” by Alma Flor Ada
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Grade: K-3rd
Being able to celebrate your culture and learn about it from your grandparents is wonderful. This story follows a little girl who shows us how she spends her weekends with her European-American grandparents and her Mexican-American grandparents. She takes us through her weekends with each set of grandparents as she visits their houses. We learn how they say hello to each other and what her favorite breakfast is that each grandmother makes. Throughout the story we learn that both sets of her grandparent’s lives are extremely similar even though they come from separate backgrounds. Finally, it is her birthday and all of her family including both sets of grandparents come to celebrate the wonderful day. Her grandparents work together to make her birthday a special day by combining both of their cultures.
This book would be a wonderful aid in the classroom. The first place it could be used it to talk about cultural identities or backgrounds. “I Love Saturday and Domingos” is a great book to introduce the idea of culture and have students begin a project about their cultural identities. Knowing where your ancestors came from and celebrating your heritage it very special. This book is also wonderful because it shows how similar various cultures are to each other. On every page there is one paragraph that describes what she does with one set of grandparents and another paragraph which discusses something similar she does with the other set of grandparents. This would be a great book to discuss classroom community and how even though we all come from different places we are quite similar. Last, this book would be great for learning compare and contrast while using Venn diagrams. Each page could be used as a separate diagram. The activities she does with her grandparents are very similar but the language is one thing that is different. There are many uses for this book in the classroom.
This is a Wow book because of the amazing detail in the illustrations and the wonderful story the book portrays. I really enjoy how each page shows the story of her weekends with her grandparents and how similar they are to each other. Most people would believe that the cultures are so different so her days could not be similar but this book is a wonderful explanation of how similar various cultures can be.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Grade: K-3rd
Being able to celebrate your culture and learn about it from your grandparents is wonderful. This story follows a little girl who shows us how she spends her weekends with her European-American grandparents and her Mexican-American grandparents. She takes us through her weekends with each set of grandparents as she visits their houses. We learn how they say hello to each other and what her favorite breakfast is that each grandmother makes. Throughout the story we learn that both sets of her grandparent’s lives are extremely similar even though they come from separate backgrounds. Finally, it is her birthday and all of her family including both sets of grandparents come to celebrate the wonderful day. Her grandparents work together to make her birthday a special day by combining both of their cultures.
This book would be a wonderful aid in the classroom. The first place it could be used it to talk about cultural identities or backgrounds. “I Love Saturday and Domingos” is a great book to introduce the idea of culture and have students begin a project about their cultural identities. Knowing where your ancestors came from and celebrating your heritage it very special. This book is also wonderful because it shows how similar various cultures are to each other. On every page there is one paragraph that describes what she does with one set of grandparents and another paragraph which discusses something similar she does with the other set of grandparents. This would be a great book to discuss classroom community and how even though we all come from different places we are quite similar. Last, this book would be great for learning compare and contrast while using Venn diagrams. Each page could be used as a separate diagram. The activities she does with her grandparents are very similar but the language is one thing that is different. There are many uses for this book in the classroom.
This is a Wow book because of the amazing detail in the illustrations and the wonderful story the book portrays. I really enjoy how each page shows the story of her weekends with her grandparents and how similar they are to each other. Most people would believe that the cultures are so different so her days could not be similar but this book is a wonderful explanation of how similar various cultures can be.
September 25, 2011
I Love Saturdays y Domingos by Alma Flor Ada, illustrated by Elivia Savadier is the tale of a child who recounts her weekends spent with her European-American grandparents on Saturdays, and her Mexican American Abuelito y Abuelita on Domingos (Sundays). Both sets of grandparents love their granddaughter very much. This book was another excellent choice of the Goodreads Picturebook Club.
A clever parallel storyline has the two sets of grandparents doing similar things with their grandchild, with the details told in English or Spanish. Both share activites involving the circus, fish and pets. Both share stories from the grandparents' pasts, and cooperate together to celebrate her birthday. The explanation and English translation of Las mananitas is included at the end of the book.
I enjoyed the compare and contrast nature of the story, with details such as the European-American grandparents preparing scrambled eggs and pancakes for breakfast while the Mexican-American grandparents make huevos rancheros. The overall impression is that the two cultures have some differences, yet people have more in common than some might think. Hispanic culture is nicely intergrated, particularly with the pinata at the birthday party plus singing both Happy Birthday and Las Mananitas.
Savadier's colorful watercolor illustrations are evocative of loving grandparents and a loving intergenrational, multi-ethnic family. The illustrations support the text.
I do wish that a glossary of Spanish terms had been provided to ensure careful translation of the dialog. There seems to be some competition between the grandparents giving the girl gifts and attention, though this may be unintentional. This is an excellent multicultural, biracial book for both classroom and library use. The book is highly recommended for school and library collections. Frankly I wish a lot of politicians and congressmen would read and understand this book the way children will.
For ages 4 to 8, intergenerational families, grandparents, birthdays, Hispanic culture, multicultural, bilingual, diversity, acceptance of differences, unity, and fans of Alma Flor Ada and Elivia Savadier.
A clever parallel storyline has the two sets of grandparents doing similar things with their grandchild, with the details told in English or Spanish. Both share activites involving the circus, fish and pets. Both share stories from the grandparents' pasts, and cooperate together to celebrate her birthday. The explanation and English translation of Las mananitas is included at the end of the book.
I enjoyed the compare and contrast nature of the story, with details such as the European-American grandparents preparing scrambled eggs and pancakes for breakfast while the Mexican-American grandparents make huevos rancheros. The overall impression is that the two cultures have some differences, yet people have more in common than some might think. Hispanic culture is nicely intergrated, particularly with the pinata at the birthday party plus singing both Happy Birthday and Las Mananitas.
Savadier's colorful watercolor illustrations are evocative of loving grandparents and a loving intergenrational, multi-ethnic family. The illustrations support the text.
I do wish that a glossary of Spanish terms had been provided to ensure careful translation of the dialog. There seems to be some competition between the grandparents giving the girl gifts and attention, though this may be unintentional. This is an excellent multicultural, biracial book for both classroom and library use. The book is highly recommended for school and library collections. Frankly I wish a lot of politicians and congressmen would read and understand this book the way children will.
For ages 4 to 8, intergenerational families, grandparents, birthdays, Hispanic culture, multicultural, bilingual, diversity, acceptance of differences, unity, and fans of Alma Flor Ada and Elivia Savadier.
June 22, 2011
Illustrator: Elivia Savadier
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Year: 2002
Interest Level: K-3
Reading Level: 2-3 for an English Spanish bilingual reader
I remember seeing this book when it first came out and I remember liking it a lot. I loved how the girl is proud to come from a multicultural home. Having that message in children's literature is important. I also think it's great to represent a child who comes from a mixed Latino and European background, because I do not see that often in children's books.
I decided to revisit the book for my multicultural children's lit class. Perhaps it's the difference of the beginning of my career in bilingual education and 10 years later, or perhaps it's reading this genre of books with a more critical eye, but when I read this book now, I am a little more concerned. I felt there was a little bit of a competition (though unintentional) between the European grandparents and the Mexican grandparents. For many of the events she did with her European (country never stated) grandparents, she did something similar on a bigger scale with her Mexican grandparents. On one hand, it puts the Mexican grandparents in a brighter light, which is less common for mainstream children's lit, but I don't understand why they could not do activities that were different. Watching a video of a circus and then seeing a circus in real life- what would compare? Then holding balloons and flying a homemade kite- what would compare? The girl in the story enjoys the time with both sets of grandparents, but I don't like how the Saturdays and domingos seem to be compared with each other.
I love the integration of English and Spanish in a way that the reader really needs to know both languages. There is not bilingual glossary. The Spanish is not thrown in here and there with a superficial "hola" or "gracias. I enjoy that. It validates children's ability to code switch in their homes without using "token" words for the sake of having them.
I think this book could definitely be used with younger grades that study "All About Me" and different kinds of families.
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Year: 2002
Interest Level: K-3
Reading Level: 2-3 for an English Spanish bilingual reader
I remember seeing this book when it first came out and I remember liking it a lot. I loved how the girl is proud to come from a multicultural home. Having that message in children's literature is important. I also think it's great to represent a child who comes from a mixed Latino and European background, because I do not see that often in children's books.
I decided to revisit the book for my multicultural children's lit class. Perhaps it's the difference of the beginning of my career in bilingual education and 10 years later, or perhaps it's reading this genre of books with a more critical eye, but when I read this book now, I am a little more concerned. I felt there was a little bit of a competition (though unintentional) between the European grandparents and the Mexican grandparents. For many of the events she did with her European (country never stated) grandparents, she did something similar on a bigger scale with her Mexican grandparents. On one hand, it puts the Mexican grandparents in a brighter light, which is less common for mainstream children's lit, but I don't understand why they could not do activities that were different. Watching a video of a circus and then seeing a circus in real life- what would compare? Then holding balloons and flying a homemade kite- what would compare? The girl in the story enjoys the time with both sets of grandparents, but I don't like how the Saturdays and domingos seem to be compared with each other.
I love the integration of English and Spanish in a way that the reader really needs to know both languages. There is not bilingual glossary. The Spanish is not thrown in here and there with a superficial "hola" or "gracias. I enjoy that. It validates children's ability to code switch in their homes without using "token" words for the sake of having them.
I think this book could definitely be used with younger grades that study "All About Me" and different kinds of families.
October 22, 2009
Summary: Saturdays and Sundays are very special days for the child in this story. On Saturdays, she visits Grandma and Grandpa, who come from a European-American background, and on Sundays -- los domingos -- she visits Abuelito y Abuelita, who are Mexican-American. While the two sets of grandparents are different in many ways, they also have a great deal in common -- in particular, their love for their granddaughter.
While we follow our narrator to the circus and the pier, share stories from her grandparents' pasts, and celebrate her birthday, the depth and joy of both cultures are conveyed in Spanish and English. This affirmation of both heritages will speak to all children who want to know more about their own families and ethnic backgrounds.
Genre: Fictional Picture Book
Reading Level:Fluent, this book is fluent because the text on each page is very long. There are several paragraphs on each page. The book is written in both Spanish and English, so this will be difficult for children. The illustrations only add to the text of the story, but they do not help you to understand the text.
Topic: Spending time with Grandparents, diversity in Spanish & English lifestyles
Curriculum Uses:This book could be used as a Read-Aloud in early grades K-4. It could also be used with older grades if you are doing a lesson on Spanish culture. This book could also be used independent reader in 1-4.
Social Issues:This book addresses the importance that the elderly can have on a young person's life. It also discusses diversity. I love Saturdays y domingos, shows how different cultures live.
Literary Elements: This book uses imagery such as, "the spongy, warm pancakes." The book also uses metaphors such as balloons like a big bouquet of flowers.
Illustrations & Text: The illustrations go along with the text in the book. The text discusses the lifestyle of those who are hispanic and the pictures show how they live as well. The illustrations and text go hand and hand.
While we follow our narrator to the circus and the pier, share stories from her grandparents' pasts, and celebrate her birthday, the depth and joy of both cultures are conveyed in Spanish and English. This affirmation of both heritages will speak to all children who want to know more about their own families and ethnic backgrounds.
Genre: Fictional Picture Book
Reading Level:Fluent, this book is fluent because the text on each page is very long. There are several paragraphs on each page. The book is written in both Spanish and English, so this will be difficult for children. The illustrations only add to the text of the story, but they do not help you to understand the text.
Topic: Spending time with Grandparents, diversity in Spanish & English lifestyles
Curriculum Uses:This book could be used as a Read-Aloud in early grades K-4. It could also be used with older grades if you are doing a lesson on Spanish culture. This book could also be used independent reader in 1-4.
Social Issues:This book addresses the importance that the elderly can have on a young person's life. It also discusses diversity. I love Saturdays y domingos, shows how different cultures live.
Literary Elements: This book uses imagery such as, "the spongy, warm pancakes." The book also uses metaphors such as balloons like a big bouquet of flowers.
Illustrations & Text: The illustrations go along with the text in the book. The text discusses the lifestyle of those who are hispanic and the pictures show how they live as well. The illustrations and text go hand and hand.
October 24, 2018
A young girl celebrates her diverse family, and her multicultural heritage, in Alma Flor Ada's I Love Saturdays y Domingos, describing her Saturday visits with her father's parents - her European-American Grandma and Grandpa - and her Sunday (los domingos) visits with her mother's parents - her Mexican-American Abuelito y Abuelita. With activities and interests that mirror each other - sharing the history of their respective ancestors, playing with their pets, devising happy surprises for their favorite grandchild - the two sets of grandparents feature on facing pages of the book, allowing the narrator to switch back and forth between English, and a mixture of Spanish and English. The conclusion, in which both sets of grandparents attend the narrator's birthday party, and work together on a wonderful gift, highlights the ties of love that bind them all together.
I enjoyed this charming picture-book, both for its engaging story and for its dual narrative structure, which allows even those readers unfamiliar with the language to understand the various words and phrases in Spanish. Having already seen the same idea conveyed in English, they can easily guess what the Spanish portions means. I did feel at first - as I see a number of other reviewers have done - that the narrative favored Abuelito and Abuelita a little bit, showing them in a more positive light (Grandma and Grandpa watch a video of the circus with their granddaughter, while Abuelito and Abuelita take her to the circus itself; Grandma and Grandpa buy her some balloons, while Abuelito makes her a kite), but I think this may have been unconsciously done: an inadvertent result of the dual narrative mentioned above. Leaving that aside, I Love Saturdays y Domingos is still an engaging story, one I recommend to anyone looking for quality children's stories featuring multicultural and bilingual families.
I enjoyed this charming picture-book, both for its engaging story and for its dual narrative structure, which allows even those readers unfamiliar with the language to understand the various words and phrases in Spanish. Having already seen the same idea conveyed in English, they can easily guess what the Spanish portions means. I did feel at first - as I see a number of other reviewers have done - that the narrative favored Abuelito and Abuelita a little bit, showing them in a more positive light (Grandma and Grandpa watch a video of the circus with their granddaughter, while Abuelito and Abuelita take her to the circus itself; Grandma and Grandpa buy her some balloons, while Abuelito makes her a kite), but I think this may have been unconsciously done: an inadvertent result of the dual narrative mentioned above. Leaving that aside, I Love Saturdays y Domingos is still an engaging story, one I recommend to anyone looking for quality children's stories featuring multicultural and bilingual families.
October 24, 2012
This book was very refreshing. The title inferences that the book is in English but also in Spanish. The book tells the story of a little girl who has grandparents from different cultures. On Saturdays, she goes to visit her father's parents who are from an English background. She explains what they do such as, eating pancakes and watching the circus on tv. She loves these grandparents very much and respects where they come from, her great-great grandmother was a teacher. On Sundays, or Domingos in Spanish, she visits her mother's parents who are of Spanish and Native American backgrounds. She explains the language used and how they teach her about huevos rancheros and keeping chickens. The story ends with her having a birthday party and both sets of grandparents are in attendance. She is a very happy, loved litte girl.
I enjoyed this book and think that it would be beneficial to any cross cultural lesson that involved Spanish heritage. The illustration throughout the book were very colorful and showed the difference in cultures easily. The use of the Spanish language when describing her time with her Abuelita and Abuelito, really allows you to emurse yourself in the story. I beleive this would also be beneficial to ESL students who are learning about the American grandma and grandpas.
I enjoyed this book and think that it would be beneficial to any cross cultural lesson that involved Spanish heritage. The illustration throughout the book were very colorful and showed the difference in cultures easily. The use of the Spanish language when describing her time with her Abuelita and Abuelito, really allows you to emurse yourself in the story. I beleive this would also be beneficial to ESL students who are learning about the American grandma and grandpas.
March 4, 2013
I Love Saturdays y domingos is a children’s book by Alma Flor Ada that centers around a young girl and how she spends her weekends. On Saturdays, the narrator spends the day with her European-American grandparents, and on Sundays, she spends the day with her Mexican-American grandparents. Through the author’s amazing use of juxtaposition, the audience gets to experience the both cultures and see how the two cultures are both similar and different as they follow the narrator and her grandparents to the circus and pier and learn about the history of the grandparents. As a literacy teacher, I would use this text to foster a curiosity about family backgrounds and history. It also incorporates Spanish in a way that is authentic. It is easy to discern the meaning of words through context clues and the author’s juxtaposition, and since the author is Spanish speaking, it adds to the authenticity of the language usage. The illustrator also does a really nice job of matching the images to the ideas that the author is trying to convey. I think students would respond well to this text because it affirms the importance of heritage and will encourage students to learn more about themselves. For the purpose of exploring various family units, this text is really great because it affirms both heritages of a multiracial child and her family.
March 5, 2013
I Love Saturdays y domingos is a children’s book by Alma Flor Ada that centers around a young girl and how she spends her weekends. On Saturdays, the narrator spends the day with her European-American grandparents, and on Sundays, she spends the day with her Mexican-American grandparents. Through the author’s amazing use of juxtaposition, the audience gets to experience the both cultures and see how the two cultures are both similar and different as they follow the narrator and her grandparents to the circus and pier and learn about the history of the grandparents. As a literacy teacher, I would use this text to foster a curiosity about family backgrounds and history. It also incorporates Spanish in a way that is authentic. It is easy to discern the meaning of words through context clues and the author’s juxtaposition, and since the author is Spanish speaking, it adds to the authenticity of the language usage. The illustrator also does a really nice job of matching the images to the ideas that the author is trying to convey. I think students would respond well to this text because it affirms the importance of heritage and will encourage students to learn more about themselves. For the purpose of exploring various family units, this text is really great because it affirms both heritages of a multiracial child and her family.
July 12, 2010
Ages: 8 - 10
"I Love Saturdays y domingos" is a book about a multiracial girl who spends time with white grandparents on Saturdays and Mexican-American grandparents on Sundays. The book does an excellent job of showing cultural differences without presenting a value judgement. A significant portion of the book is in Spanish. The clever juxtaposition of English and Spanish is helpful for identifying common human experience.
The protagonist's voice comes through nicely and multiracial students will likely identify strongly with her. Non-multiracial students will also benefit from reading about a person from a multicultural family.
The illustrations in the book are okay but not anything special. One notable issue is the fact that the protagonist appears slightly different in different pictures and, as a result, fades into the background, which makes it harder for the reader to identify with her.
This book is truly multicultural because it presents multiple cultures. It does a great job of tying cultures together without implying that they are the same or should strive to be. It could strike up some very interesting conversations with students of all ages and also prompt readers to reflect on their own identities.
"I Love Saturdays y domingos" is a book about a multiracial girl who spends time with white grandparents on Saturdays and Mexican-American grandparents on Sundays. The book does an excellent job of showing cultural differences without presenting a value judgement. A significant portion of the book is in Spanish. The clever juxtaposition of English and Spanish is helpful for identifying common human experience.
The protagonist's voice comes through nicely and multiracial students will likely identify strongly with her. Non-multiracial students will also benefit from reading about a person from a multicultural family.
The illustrations in the book are okay but not anything special. One notable issue is the fact that the protagonist appears slightly different in different pictures and, as a result, fades into the background, which makes it harder for the reader to identify with her.
This book is truly multicultural because it presents multiple cultures. It does a great job of tying cultures together without implying that they are the same or should strive to be. It could strike up some very interesting conversations with students of all ages and also prompt readers to reflect on their own identities.
April 19, 2012
This story portrays the daily life of a young bilingual girl with two sets of grandparents that hail from different cultural backgrounds. One set of grandparents is Mexican-American, while the other set is European-American. The young protagonist of this story converses with and translates the dialogue of her Abuelito and Abuelita either through her responses or as indicated in the warm and gentle watercolor illustrations. There is much emphasis on comparing and contrasting both pairs of grandparents in their use of language and their choices for activities (as Grandma and Grandpa take her to the pier and Abuelita and Abuelito take her to the circus), yet the two sets are always depicted as mutually enhancing elements in this girl's life. The concluding scene of the novel during her birthday is an occasion for all four grandparents to come together in celebration, delighting her with a coordinated gift. This story is effective to use with students when conveying a message of cultural diversity and the value of one's extended family. There is little to no emphasis on the whereabouts of her parents during the weekends, yet her time spent with either pair of grandparents is shown to be full of joyful affirmation of her heritage.
March 5, 2012
I Love Saturdays y Domingos by Alma Flor Ada is a great book. The story is about a young girl’s experiences with her grandparents. On Saturdays, she visits her paternal grandparents who are European American and on Sunday, she visits her maternal grandparents who are Mexican-American. The two sets of grandparents are different but the same at the same time, which is the love for their granddaughter. On Saturdays she tells her experiences in English and on Sundays she tell us her experiences in Spanish. This both shows us a young girl with a multicultural family and the love the entire extended family has for one another. The grandparents have different traditions and she shows how she appreciates both of them. This book compares and contrasts the different cultures and it provides a good message for children, which is, acceptance. This book is great because of the colors and pictures that the children can relate to. Also, this book contains great Spanish vocabulary and has simple sentences that children can read and understand.
September 22, 2016
* Book Summary
I love Saturdays y Domingos is about a little girl with a multiracial background. On Saturdays, she visits her grandparents, who come from a European-American background, and on Sundays ( Domingos) she spends time with her abuelos, who are Mexican-American. She compares how both of sets of grandparents are the different yet the same.
*awards
None
* Grade Level/ Interest level
2-3rd
* Appropriate Classroom Use
I would use this book in my classroom when discussing cultural diversity.
*Student Who Might Benefit From Reading
All students/Multiracial students/ Bilingual students
* Small Group Use
I would use this book if we are learning about different cultures and have the students translate the words that are in Spanish, and share a summary of the book with the class
* Whole Class Use
This could be a good book to read if learning about other cultures and trying to introduce how some principles are the same no matter where we come from.
*Related Book In Genre
Abuela
*Multimedia Connections
N/A
I love Saturdays y Domingos is about a little girl with a multiracial background. On Saturdays, she visits her grandparents, who come from a European-American background, and on Sundays ( Domingos) she spends time with her abuelos, who are Mexican-American. She compares how both of sets of grandparents are the different yet the same.
*awards
None
* Grade Level/ Interest level
2-3rd
* Appropriate Classroom Use
I would use this book in my classroom when discussing cultural diversity.
*Student Who Might Benefit From Reading
All students/Multiracial students/ Bilingual students
* Small Group Use
I would use this book if we are learning about different cultures and have the students translate the words that are in Spanish, and share a summary of the book with the class
* Whole Class Use
This could be a good book to read if learning about other cultures and trying to introduce how some principles are the same no matter where we come from.
*Related Book In Genre
Abuela
*Multimedia Connections
N/A
November 15, 2016
1. This book is about a child and her love for Saturdays and Sundays. She loves these two days because they are spent with her grandparents. On Saturdays she spends her day with her dads parents which have an american background, and on Sundays she spends it with her moms parents who have a Spanish background. This book compares the way things are done at both grandparents, and how she loves both cultures. At the end the entire family comes together as one to celebrate her birthday.
2. 2-4th
3. Reading/carpet
4. Students who wants to learn Spanish would enjoy this book.
5. In groups the students can talk about the different cultures in their family and if they do different things with different parts of their family.
6. As a whole class the teacher could use this as a diversity lesson and teach the students how to sing happy birthday in Spanish.
7. Alma Flor Ada has several childrens books written!!
8. I only found this book in hard copy.
2. 2-4th
3. Reading/carpet
4. Students who wants to learn Spanish would enjoy this book.
5. In groups the students can talk about the different cultures in their family and if they do different things with different parts of their family.
6. As a whole class the teacher could use this as a diversity lesson and teach the students how to sing happy birthday in Spanish.
7. Alma Flor Ada has several childrens books written!!
8. I only found this book in hard copy.
August 1, 2012
I Love Saturdays y Domingos is a wonderful story about a little girl who spends Saturdays with her Grandma and Grandpa, who come from a European-American background,and Sundays (los domingos) with her Abuelito and Abuelita, who are Mexican-American. Although her two sets of grandparents are from two very different cultures, they share a lot of similarities, including their wonderful relationship with their granddaughter. Another theme of the book is the value of family. Family can not only be good company, but they can also teach you a lot about yourself.
I plan on using this book to teach students about diversity. Through this book, they can begin to realize that seemingly diverse individuals can actually have a lot in common. In addition, this would be a wonderful text to use with students from multiracial families.
I plan on using this book to teach students about diversity. Through this book, they can begin to realize that seemingly diverse individuals can actually have a lot in common. In addition, this would be a wonderful text to use with students from multiracial families.
April 16, 2012
I love Saturdays y Domingos is a story about a young girl who spends her Saturdays with her grandparents that have a European background and spends her Domingos with her grandparents that have Mexican and Native American background. She speaks about both sides of her family and how she enjoys both. She talk about how each set of grandparents are different in their own way but they are her family. She equally spends time with both and is proud of them. There is no differences between them because on her birthday they all come together to celebrate. It helps teach children understand about cultural diversity and how there are some kids that have different ethnicities and that each one should be respected and celebrated.
April 16, 2012
Multicultural families are common in classrooms and everyday life. I love Saturdays y Domingos shows how a young girl has grandparents from two different cultures and appreciates them both by celebrating either Saturday or Sundays with each pair of grandparents. One pair of grandparents are from Eastern Europe and the other are Mexican-American. This book exemplifies that although families may come in different shapes, colors, cultures, languages, backgrounds, etc, no matter what you love them and learn from them.
A lot of students can identify with the characters in the book because many students may be multicultural, bilingual, biracial, etc. It teaches students to learn and be fair with their classmates whose families may look, talk, or act different than theirs.
A lot of students can identify with the characters in the book because many students may be multicultural, bilingual, biracial, etc. It teaches students to learn and be fair with their classmates whose families may look, talk, or act different than theirs.
February 11, 2015
I read/listened to 'I love Saturdays y Domingos on Tumblebooks.com and was thoroughly impressed with how the author seamlessly integrated two distinctly different cultures. Each culture was accurately represented and theme of the story was definitely family. You could feel the love the main character had for both sets of her grandparents and the storyline made you want to keep reading to see which adventure or activity they would do together next. 'I Love Saturdays y Domigos' would be a must read in the early elementary grades but could also be effectively used with older children who travel between cultures when visiting family and friends. In my opinion, the most precious place to read 'I Love Saturdays y Domingos' would be snuggled up on your grandparents lap!
February 25, 2010
"I Love Saturdays y domingos" is about a little girl who goes to visit her father's side of grandparents on Saturdays and her mother's side of parents on Sundays. The father's side comes from a European-American heritage, while her mother's side comes from the Mexican-American heritage. The book describes the activities she does with her grandparents conveying it in both English and Spanish. This is a wonderful book for children who want to know more about their own families and can relate to the special times they spend with their grandparents. This book would also be useful when introducing beginning Spanish or with a student who is learning English when only speaking Spanish.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews