We love it when Chef Amanda and author Padma Venkatraman pair up to share a recipe and writing prompt for our Boyds Mills family! Padma creates the prompts based on a book from one of our Boyds Mills faculty, and Chef Amanda shares a recipe from the kitchen at the Barn.
When her far-away grandma moves in, Mia and Abuela share a bedroom. Mia has to find a bridge between two languages so that she can learn the stories about her family, and Abuela can learn about Mia’s art. MANGO, ABUELA AND ME weaves together a story of shared history, family, storytelling…and a parrot named Mango.
From the book:
Abuela, Mango, and I practice new words every day. Mi español gets faster and Abuela and Mango learn the days of the week, all the months of the year, and the names of coins.
“How did he learn all that?” Papi asks when we show him all that Mango can do. Abuela winks at me and gives Mango a piece of banana, peel and all.
“Practice,” she says.
Later in the story, when we first encounter Mango, Meg writes,
“Look!” I say. The window has become a jungle filled with birds! And right in the middle is a parrot starring at us with black-bean eyes.
Think of one of your characters. How would you sketch or describe that character’s eyes? Maybe you would say “sky-blue” or “forest-green”? Maybe you would sketch in reaction to a feeling? Don’t worry if your first attempt is cliché. Write that first idea, or sketch that first idea, then push beyond. Brainstorm, meditate, and reflect on your character’s eyes, then describe in words or in sketch. Where can you include this in your current work-in-progress?
MANGO, ABUELA, AND ME, written by Meg Medina and illustrated by Angela Dominguez
When her far-away grandma moves in, Mia and Abuela share a bedroom. Mia has to find a bridge between two languages so that she can learn the stories about her family, and Abuela can learn about Mia’s art. MANGO, ABUELA AND ME weaves together a story of shared history, family, storytelling…and a parrot named Mango.
From the book:
Abuela, Mango, and I practice new words every day. Mi español gets faster and Abuela and Mango learn the days of the week, all the months of the year, and the names of coins.
“How did he learn all that?” Papi asks when we show him all that Mango can do. Abuela winks at me and gives Mango a piece of banana, peel and all.
“Practice,” she says.
Writing Prompt
This month’s Foodie Friday recipe is inspired by images from Angela Dominguez and words from Meg Medina found in their MANGO, ABUELA, AND ME. When we look at the cover image, compared to an interior spread, consider the way that Angela has represented the facial expressions, specifically the eyes of Abuela.
Later in the story, when we first encounter Mango, Meg writes,
“Look!” I say. The window has become a jungle filled with birds! And right in the middle is a parrot starring at us with black-bean eyes.
Think of one of your characters. How would you sketch or describe that character’s eyes? Maybe you would say “sky-blue” or “forest-green”? Maybe you would sketch in reaction to a feeling? Don’t worry if your first attempt is cliché. Write that first idea, or sketch that first idea, then push beyond. Brainstorm, meditate, and reflect on your character’s eyes, then describe in words or in sketch. Where can you include this in your current work-in-progress?
