Meet the Characters
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Maya
The Grandbaby/Nieta
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Grandma
Loves Her Garden
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Abuela
Loves Her Beach Walks
The Story
Abuela lives in Puerto Rico. Grandma lives in New York City. Abuela cooks arroz con gandules. Grandma makes collard greens and cornbread. Abuela only speaks a little English. Grandma doesn’t speak any Spanish.
Today, Abuela and Grandma are meeting for the first time. Maya is worried—what if they misunderstand each other? But Abuela and Grandma have one big thing in common: their love for Maya, their granddaughter.
From award-winning journalist and author Natasha S. Alford, with illustrations by Natalia Rojas Castro, this lively text is a celebration of a young girl’s multicultural experience.
The Author & The Illustrator
Natasha S. Alford is an award-winning journalist, author, TV Analyst, and former English teacher. Her memoir American Negra won the International Latino Book Award and explores her journey growing up Black and Latina in America. She is also the executive producer of the documentary Afro-Latinx Revolution: Puerto Rico. She lives in New Jersey with her family.
Natalia Rojas Castro is an illustrator based in Bogotá, Colombia, whose vibrant digital artwork is inspired by the colors, people, and nature of Latin America. She has created illustrations for publishers such as Phaidon, DK, Simon & Schuster, and Templar Books, often blending textures and subtle animation to bring her characters to life. When she’s not drawing, Natalia enjoys cycling through Bogotá and weaving rugs with her own designs.