Abuelito is a heartwarming and beautifully illustrated kid's picture book that explores the magical relationship between a grandparent and a child. The vibrant illustrations truly capture the emotions and essence of the story, making it visually captivating. The storyline is touching, but I wish it had been a little longer to keep the young readers engaged throughout. Nevertheless, it's a delightful book that celebrates the love and connection shared between generations.

What a special story. Grief is an important topic to share with children. Life can be fragile. It's important to prepare children and give them tools to process their feelings. Definitely recommending this one!

"Abuelito" by David Corredor Benavides and Nelly Buchet, illustrated by Ana Sanfelippo, is a heartwarming story about friendship, loss, and finding new connections. The book follows the story of Alejo, a young boy who loves his grandfather and spends a lot of time with him. But at one time Alejo has to overcome the loss of his beloved Abuelo.

What stands out in this book are the poignant illustrations by Ana Sanfelippo, which beautifully capture the emotions and the story. Despite the heavy themes, the story is also filled with moments of hope and warmth. Alejo's friendship with the new neighbour shows that even in the midst of grief, new connections can be formed and they are important.

Overall, "Abuelito" is touching. It is a great book for children who have experienced loss and are looking for a way to cope with the difficult emotions that come with it. I would recommend this book.

‘Abuelito’ is an Own Voices children’s picture book about Alejo and his Abuelo. It discusses familial relationships, coping with loss and supporting friendships.

This was both sweet and sad at the same time. The relationship between Alejo and his Abuelo was so sweet and heartwarming. The authors convey emotions really well in this story and it’s also partially based off David’s own experiences. The illustrations were really lovely too.

I think the overall message that this story gave was that having a good support system can get you through the saddest times and I think the authors portrayed this really well. I think this book could be a great tool to softly introduce children to grief and give advice on how to deal with that.

Representation - Colombian; Latino; POC

TWs/CWs - Grief; Illness; Loss of a Loved One

This sweet exploration of loss and learning to live again would be useful in talking with a little one about grief. When Alejo’s grandfather doesn’t come back from the hospital, he doesn’t know how to go about doing everything alone. Luckily, he doesn’t have to.
While this book would be useful and is obviously heartfelt, I felt it could have let the reader sit with the grief a little longer.

This book was so sweet, and I loved the illustrations. I think books that touch on loss for kids are so important, and I think this one would be a good way to open up conversations.

A wonderful story of relationships, family, loss and self discovery. Alejo who loves his grandfather and they do everything together is heartbroken when his grandfather ends up in hospital and doesn't come home. He struggles with the loneliness until he finds a friend that helps him through it all. It's a very simple story with heavier undertones. A nice story, lacking a bit of context and detail but a nice idea.

Alejo adored his grandfather. They spent lots of time together and shared many hobbies and adventures. When Abuelo passes away, Alejo tries to carry on, but cannot fill the void left by his loss. Love, support, and friends eventually help him find a way forward.

This is a simple, straightforward story about death and resilience for young readers. The tone and language are very direct which might be beneficial for little kids who tend to be more literal and wind up confused by the metaphorical language used to discuss death in some books. Children who are not native Spanish speakers might need the significance of the term "Abuelito" explained to them.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Such a Sweet Story

Abuelito was such a sweet story! It's a story of love, making memories, cherishing the time we have with those that are special to us, dealing with loss and overcoming. However, it is told in such a beautiful and simple way that children can fully understand. The story, along with its beautiful illustrations, is sure to touch the reader's heartstrings, no matter the age.

I received a complimentary copy of the book via NetGalley. All comments and opinions stated are voluntary and completely my own.

The loss of the grandfather is pretty sudden in this one and not super obvious what happened. "Grandpa didn't come home from the hospital." I don't feel that it goes too in depth about processing grief but it is a general book on the subject.

Abuelito is a picture book about grandparents and grief. The child's feelings are validated in knowing that it's okay to be sad, and it can be hard to lose a grandparent, especially when you're doing all the things you used to do together, alone. It also shows how friends can help make that loneliness a little easier. The illustrations are very cute and well done.

A sweet and simple story of a young boy and his bestfriend, his Abuelo, who do everything together until one day that all changes. Colorful illustrations tell a subplot that contributes to the resolution of the plot. The images are helpful for inferencing questions with children and discussion of illustrations.

A warm story of a child who loves his grandfather, grief, new friendships, and brighter days ahead. This book handles loss in a kid-friendly way. The bright color block illustrations go beautifully with the sparse, poignant text.

Alejo loves his abuelo so much. They do everything together until one day abuelo gets sick and has to stay at the hospital. While he waits for him to return, Alejo spends time with a new friend.

Any book with inter-generational friendships is a win for me, especially children's books. Grandparent relationships aren’t talked about as much as they should be. They can be vital and cherished parts of people’s lives.

Children will surely connect to some part of the story, even if they don’t have a close grandparent relationship. Maybe instead they feel like the young girl always watching and wanting to be a part. The art is also beautiful and engaging.

Such a beautiful concept of friendship found through grief. This also is teaching children how important an act of kindness is.

I love how the little girl in the back of every illustration peaks a childs interest. But the ending doesn't wrap it up well enough as to why she is there. Maybe an illustration added to show that she is a neighbor or some type of context to that would be beneficial.

This is an age appropriate picture book dealing with generational relationships, loss, and emotions. The multi-cultural and bilingual nature of the book gives it added value for current collections.

I'm sure not everyone likes and ready to experience separation and sadness, especially when it comes to children. I've been thinking about this lately, when I'm sad I don't know how to get up, sometimes what I need is a helping hand from other people, who are able to understand us and want to help us. I'm glad Alejo has a neighbor who can be his Abuelito. We can also be Abuelito in other people's stories with our own kindness🤍

This is the story of a young man and his grandfather. They did everything together except school. They were each other’s everything until one day grandfather got sick and didn’t come home from the hospital. And life is sad, but there are ways to remember and ways to share that love with others. This book was very sweet and the illustrations Match it perfectly. It makes you smile and fond memories rather than tear up his sad memories which only the best books can do.

This a heartwarming and touching picturebook that covers a very difficult topic, especially for kids - grief. It does so in a sensitive manner and leaves hope. Moreover, it sends an important message of coping with grief. I would highly recommend this picturebook to everyone!

Alejo and his grandfather do a number of activities together while the little girl from next door watches them. Things change when Alejo’s grandfather goes to the hospital. Alejo gains a new best friend.

The book describes an ideal relationship between a grandchild and a grandparent. Grandparents and grandchildren will enjoy reading this book together, and it definitely has a place in school libraries and the children’s section of public libraries.