I received an e-galley of Abuelita and Me by Leonarda Carranza and Rafael Mayani from Annick Press in exchange for an honest review.

Abuelita and Me is a beautiful story about the relationship between a young girl and her abuelita. It is also a story of the racism that this duo faces whenever they step outside the safety of their home together. The little girl can see the ways in which the community treats her abuelita badly and it all comes to a head when abuelita gets yelled at by the bus drive, accusing them of not paying their fare. The little girl is upset and doesn't want to leave her bed when she gets home, despite her abuelita's coaxing. When she does emerge, she is determined to face the injustice and finds the courage to face the outdoors - and the bus driver - again, taking them head on. 

I thought that this was such an honest look at the ways in which racism and discrimination is still so prevalent in society. The fact that it was told from the little girl's point of view also felt so impactful - while we like to think that we can shelter children from the injustices of the world, they are living in it and are observant individuals who don't get enough credit. I was impressed by Abuelita and Me - as a story that presents the world as it is - filled with so much love but also so much injustice that can only be dealt with one step at a time. It doesn't offer a false sense of hope that racism will be solved all of a sudden but that we can only do the little things that we can control - the ways we react in the face of racism and having the courage to live our lives and doing the best we can.