My Abuela is a Bruja, written by Mayra Cuevas and illustrated by Lorena Alvarez Gomez. Alfred A. Knopf, Penguin Random House. 2025. $24.99 ages 5 and up

 

"My abuela is a dancing bruja.
She twirls her arms wide open 
into the blue cloudless sky. 
She makes music with her 
chancletas, falling into the 
tun-tun-tan of a salsa, and 
then the tin-tin-tun of a 
bachata."

Not having any fluency in the Spanish language, I read the back matter first; it includes an author's note, a glossary of Abuela's Spanish words, and two of Ms. Cuevas' abuela's recipes. One is for sofrito and the other for her flan. 

I needed, first of all, to know the meaning of bruja. The word describes 'a woman who relies on the power of her intuition and honors the gifts of Mother Nature'. That helped tremendously with my understanding of this beautiful book. The child narrator is full of pride for her grandmother. Abuela is magical in every way, leaving her granddaughter eager to learn her secrets. 

Abuela lives high on a hillside in Puerto Rico, overlooking the ocean. The two love everything about the nature that surrounds them. The child wants to be just like her 'island bruja'. They love to share time in the garden where the child learns much under the watchful eye of her 'garden bruja'. Abuela also loves to dance and to cook. A table laden with homegrown ingredients offers everything the two need to make the sofrito that will be added to many foods. 

With full bellies, they take time to rest and read in the hammock before making a flan, 'her real kitchen charm'. The flan is a special way to end their day. As she is tucked in, she tells Abuela she dreams of someday having her magic. Abuela assures her granddaughter that she already has her own magic, rooted in family and the land that is her heritage. 

"My abuela is a bruja. 
There is magic in everything she does." 

This is a splendid book in every way. The admiration shown for Abuela and the life she lives is evident on every page, both in words and in art. Spanish words are shared throughout the telling, and every spread is filled with warmth and brilliant color. Both offer an invitation to stop and stay a while as they spend their days in each other's company. The inclusion of two photos of the author's abuela adds to the charm.