What Can You Do With a Rebozo?

During my second exchange to Mexico one of the language teachers did a presentation for our class about the many uses of rebozos, including historical background. Not long after I returned to the US, I heard about a new book, What Can You Do With a Rebozo? It automatically caught my attention because of that personal connection. Almost four years later I finally bought a copy.

The book portrays traditional cultural uses that I heard about in the presentation or that I know from being in Mexico. However, there are also fun, creative ways to use a rebozo mixed in. For example, the first page illustrates the mother wearing a rebozo as a shawl and then to hold her baby on her back. Later in the book the main character (the girl shown on the front cover) uses it as a super hero cape for Halloween.

Initially, I was a little disappointed that it was a mixture, rather than solely showing the many uses that I have seen firsthand or that are well-known historically. However, then at the end of the book there is couple of paragraphs under the heading "About Rebozos". The next page has a heading identical to the title of the book, followed by four questions: "What is the silliest thing you can do with a rebozo? What is the most practical? The most beautiful? The most creative?" Once I read these pages, I realized that the mixture in the book was perfect - featuring "real" traditional uses and some background, while also sparking the imagination of many other personalities, a perfect lead into the questions.

I absolutely love the illustrations, which span the full two-pages spreads. I appreciate the way the family is portrayed and the way the images capture the culture represented in bright colors.

I am excited to see that the book is now available as a bilingual paperback as well.

My daughter snug in her abuelita's rebozo. Even though her head is sticking out this time, other times she was completely covered.