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Review by Alice Cary
"Let's Eat" is a veritable feast for the eyes and imagination, an energy-filled tale celebrating families and their favorite gathering place, the dinner table.
The narrator is Antonio, the youngest member of a lively Spanish family that includes his parents, grandparents, brother Salvador and sister Alicia. But Antonio won't be the youngest for long; his mother is due to have a baby at any moment.
Every afternoon the clan is supposed to gather for the big meal of the day, where everyone talks at once and catches up with each other. Every day, however, someone in the family is too busy to attend. First it's Papa with too much work, then Alicia practicing a dance for a summer festival, Salvador playing hide-and-seek in the ruins of a castle, Granny tending her tomatoes, and, finally, Grandpa swapping stories with his friends in the village. With each absence, Mama proclaims, "Ay, que pena!" -- what a pity -- and dinner proceeds.
Finally, though, at the end of the week, it is Mama herself who is missing, having gone to the hospital. When she returns with the newest member of the family, a baby girl, everyone manages to gather at the table for a welcome-home celebration and a giant bowl of paella, prompting Mama to sigh, "Que maravilla! How wonderful that everyone is eating together!"
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"Que maravilla! How wonderful that everyone is eating together!" |
As such, the book would be a good choice for an elementary school student beginning Spanish lessons. The flavorings are definitely authentic. Zamorano, who lives in Australia, was born in Madrid, and still spends time in Spain. This debut book marks an excellent start to a promising career.
Vivas also spent several years early in her career in Spain, drawing people on the streets. It's no wonder that Vivas returned home to become one of Australia's most popular illustrators for children. Her characters are satisfyingly real, full of all sorts of wrinkles, droops, wonderfully round bottoms; yet at the same time they retain a glowing, fanciful quality. Her watercolors are so full of movement, joy and life that they practically shimmer off the page, no doubt reflecting the artist's background in film animation. In an earlier collaboration, Vivas and Australian author Mem Fox teamed up to create the classic "Possum Magic," which remains popular around the world.
In "Let's Eat," we see family life at its best, raucous yet controlled, full of loving people of all shapes, sizes and ages.
While the book focuses on Spanish customs, it celebrates family life everywhere, and how all families, from Arkansas to Zimbabwe, take time to join together. Antonio is one lucky boy, and children who join him and his family are certainly lucky readers. Thanks are due Zamorano and Vivas for such a bountiful invitation.
Alice Cary is a reviewer in Groton, Massachusetts.
©1997, ProMotion, inc.
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