Grandma’s Hair Is Ankle Length written by Adriana Camacho-Church and illustrated by Carmen Lop is a bright, beautiful, bilingual picture book written in both English and Spanish.
The story starts with a double-page look at Grandma combing her long white and gray hair while her little granddaughter looks on with a beautiful fascination on her face. As the story continues the illustrations become more and more full of green grass, cactus, ducks, dogs, fish, owls, roses, dragonflies, streams, and the moon. Grandmother’s hair is indeed beautiful. “When let loose, it falls over her shoulders like a towering waterfall tumbling down a mountaintop.”
Courage, wisdom, and hope all play a part in this lovely story. When the young girl asks if her hair will ever have stories to tell her grandmother says “It already does. It holds the whispers of your ancestors.”
Grandma’s Hair Is Ankle Length written by Adriana Camacho-Church and illustrated by Carmen Lop is an amazing bilingual picture book for children 4-8 years of age who are learning either English or Spanish. This book gracefully puts forth the beauty of storytelling both by words and pictures. (Pinata Books/Arte Publico Press/ University of Houston) 2024.
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Activity Questions for Grandma’s Hair Is Ankle Length
For Young Readers: Study the second illustration in this book and find the following: a duck, a fish, an owl, a parrot, a black bird, a dog, a cactus, a beetle, a mushroom, and an earring. Look carefully.
For Older Readers: Study the interesting illustration of the little girl on her grandmother’s lap. What are they doing? Can you also see the little girl on the move in the very same illustration? Where do you think she is going? Give this illustration a name. Let your imagination speak!