The Yellow Handkerchief (El pañuelo amarillo)

Starred review from July 3, 2023
In this deceptively simple story, a yellow square of fabric embodies a Latinx child’s internalized shame over the differences between their home life and that of a white-presenting friend. In the unnamed narrator’s multigenerational home, “my abuela wears an old yellow handkerchief that her grandmother gave to her” as she “scrubs the mud off our patio on her hands and knees” and undertakes other domestic tasks. When the narrator’s friend Becca asks what Abuela is cooking and why (after plucking a chicken) she has feathers in her hair, the protagonist feels embarrassment. Wishing the family had money for takeout and would buy chicken at the store “like everyone else,” the protagonist offers increasingly frustrated variations on, “I can’t stand that yellow handkerchief.” But when Abuela has to stay elsewhere for health reasons, and leaves the handkerchief behind, the ache of missing her changes everything. Higuera’s tight, insightful text, and Alonso’s playful digital illustrations—threaded with pink and purple—lighten an intensely personal-feeling exploration of shame and pride. An author’s note concludes. Ages 4–8.

Starred review from April 15, 2023
In Newbery Award-winning author Higuera's latest, cultural understanding between generations blossoms. A Latine girl with brown skin and wavy brown hair lives in a modest farmhouse with her family, including her abuela. Abuela keeps busy with chores, and the yellow handkerchief she wears in her hair--a gift from her own grandmother--proves useful throughout the day. Feelings of shame and embarrassment swirl as the narrator's visiting friend Becca, who presents White, asks innocent questions about what Abuela is doing. Reading Becca's curiosity as criticism, the narrator concludes, "I definitely don't like the yellow handkerchief." To the granddaughter, the handkerchief has come to represent a sense of otherness, and as she thinks about Abuela growing her own food, raising chickens, and speaking Spanish, she wishes that her family could do things more "like everyone else." When Abuela needs to leave for several days, the girl steps into the role of caretaker, donning the yellow handkerchief to stay connected to Abuela, and gains new appreciation for her grandmother's hard work. A sweet reunion brings with it acceptance and a new capacity for self-love. Alonso's saturated, textured artwork brims with emotion. Her dynamic illustrations paired with evocative, purposeful prose convey the nuance of identity and young people's often complicated feelings about their families and cultural backgrounds. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A gentle triumph. (author's note) (Picture book. 6-10)

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Starred review from February 15, 2023
Grades K-3 *Starred Review* A young girl doesn't like her grandmother's old yellow handkerchief. Abuela wears the pa�uelo amarillo in her hair while gathering tomatillos and peppers from their garden, uses it to carry eggs from the chicken coop, and waves it to catch the child's attention. When a friend comes over to play, the narrator is self-conscious, seeing the well-worn handkerchief as a bright beacon that draws attention to all the ways her family is different from her peer's--from the homemade chorizo in their rural kitchen, instead of store-bought pizza, to the Spanish words spoken instead of English. With some distance and reflection, the child begins to view the handkerchief as a source of comfort, not embarrassment, and realizes the depth of her grandmother's hard work, fortitude, and unequivocal love. Complex, conflicting emotions are realistically conveyed with potent subtlety. Spanish words are woven gracefully throughout: "Abuela slips off her yellow handkerchief and wipes my tears. She kisses my cheek. 'Ser t� mismo, ' she says, telling me to be myself." Argentinian illustrator Alonso's expressive digitally created artwork radiates warmth with vivid colors and tender scenes, capturing compassionate care and familial traditions passed down through the generations. Inspired by Newbery medalist Higuera's own childhood memories (as revealed in a poignant author's endnote), this marvelous and moving picture book is an affecting tribute to the ties that bind.

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