ESTAS MANOS / THESE HANDS

Caraballo’s bilingual tribute to family is couched in Caribbean and Central and South American symbolism associated with trees and flowers in Puerto Rico.

From grandparents to siblings, the nurturing hands in the young protagonist’s life are praised for their contributions to her well-being. Mom’s hands are tender, like rose petals. Dad’s hands keep her safe; they are strong, like mahogany trees. The Spanish prose is lyrical, but the English paragraphs begin with stilted literal translations: “Your hands, the strongest!…. / Your hands, the friendliest.” Soft pastels of pink, lavender, peach and blue are the dominant colors in Costello’s impressionistic artwork. The illustrations capture the joyful intimacy of family relationships, from benevolent smiles to cherishing embraces. The flowers and trees are portrayed within the body of the text, with the exception of the ceiba tree, which accompanies a page on botanical symbolism. This page of symbols immediately follows the homage to the narrator’s grandfather, making the ending abrupt and jarring—readers will feel the absence of any kind of conclusion or summation.

In the end, the book unfortunately has the feel of a series of sentimental greeting cards.