clarita’s clay pot, la olla de barro de clarita: a bilingual story of friendship, english and spanish

Seven-year old Junie López accompanies his grandma Lucinda on an adventurous trip walking from Bernalillo to the Pueblo of Sandía three miles away to visit her best friend Clarita and to participate in the yearly celebration of the San Antonio fiestas. Besides eating an assortment of foods at Clarita’s home, including pinto beans cooked in her unique way using a clay pot, along with observing dancers dressed in bright Native American costumes and other local traditions, Junie learns of the long-standing bond between Clarita and his grandma. Clarita’s Clay Pot: A Story of Friendship is emblematic of a genuine cross-cultural relationship. The story, inspired by an eighty-year-old clay pot that Clarita molded with her own hands, is tender and humorous.