A Maleta Full of Treasures by Natalia Sylvester (review)

Reviewed by: A Maleta Full of Treasures by Natalia Sylvester Amanda Toledo Sylvester, Natalia A Maleta Full of Treasures; illus. by Juana Medina. Dial, 2024 32p Trade ed. ISBN 9780593462423 18. 99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593462430 10. 99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. K-2 Dulce's Abuela arrives with many maletas, and the unpacking of each suitcase is near-magical, a seemingly endless supply of treasures and confections from a homeland Dulce has yet to see. Child and grandmother cuddle up, cook together, and watch recorded videos from family. Dulce knows, however, that the visit won't last forever, and so Dulce seeks treasures to send back with Abuela as keepsakes of their time together. After a teary good-bye at the airport, Dulce returns home to a surprise gift: her very own maleta, packed with more of her grandmother's gifts and love. Sylvester's steady writing draws on the senses, with the sounds and textures of the gifts captured on each page, but it is Medina's expert employment of illustrations that enriches and elevates the story to something exceptional. The colors are plentiful in Dulce's home, but more vivid and numerous when in Abuela's presence. Abuela, with her short, cropped hair and soft, wide body takes up space, quite literally on the page; when Dulce is with Abuela, cooking, getting her hair End Page 296 braided, wrapped in a blanket pulled from one of the many maletas, there is little white space on the page, the world mostly full of Abuela and her warmth. When it is time for Abuela to return home, Dulce is small, sitting alone on her bed, an ocean of white space around her, though soon the empty space is filled when she opens her gift suitcase, surrounded once more by love. This tale will be a comfort to children yearning for their own far-flung loved ones, demonstrating the ways they can reciprocate the love they receive, even when it feels boundless. Copyright © 2024 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois