Gracias, Rosa

by Diane Paterson (Illustrator), Michelle Markel

Kate slowly becomes friends with her new caregiver, Rosa, who tells Kate about life in Guatemala and about Juana, her own daughter, who lives with Rosa's mother back in Guatemala.

1 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1995

Reviews

[Margot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Markel has obviously seen how a Guatamalan babysitter relates to children. The woman, Rosa, is very caring and has learned, from her own cultural understanding, how to care for children. Ms. Markel helps the reader see the differences in mindsets of the young charge and Rosa. Kate, the daughter, learns that other animals and, even Rosa, have their own families. The cultural exchanges are explained and easy to see. Kate realizes how much she cares for Rosa, by the end of the story, and she's happy to know that, once Rosa, goes back to Guatemala, she's able to stay with her own young daughter.

[Christine Levinge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great multicultural book to have in the classroom and to use for a read-aloud. The little girl in the book is hesitant at first when she gets a new babysitter that speaks Spanish. The girl and Rosa, the babysitter, end up forming a bond and learning from each other. The little girl learns Rosa's customs and some of her language, and Rosa practices her English with the little girl. This is a great book to read to enforce the idea of how much children from different backgrounds can learn from one another.

[Carman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gracias, Rosa, tells the tale of a Guatemalan transplant nanny that mostly speaks Spanish and her charge, a young American girl, who work out a way to communicate with each other and teach other about their respective cultures. I would use this book as a read aloud to perhaps inspire students to make more of an effort to understand those with a different language or background.