El empacho de Isabel/Isabel’s Tummy Ache

K-Gr 2–Isabela recounts her memorable first trip to Cuba to meet Abuelita Macurí with her teacher and classmates in this dual language picture book. After traveling by plane, a crowded guagua (bus), freight train, and finally, by horse-drawn cart, Isabela and her mom arrive in Abuela’s remote mountain town. Her heart “thump-thumping,” Isabela greets Macurí with a big hug and notes all of their similar features, including the same mole on their left ear. To make up for their time apart, Grandma Macurí bakes a cake to celebrate her granddaughter’s missed birthdays, and Isabela eats three slices. Excited by their reunion, the next day Isabel eats a mango and bun for breakfast, six oranges for lunch, watermelon for a midday snack, and a whole pineapple for dinner. Soon after, Isabel begins to feel empacho (a stomachache), which Macurí resolves to cure with cacao oil and belly massages, vegetable soup, and a valuable lesson to “always eat healthy and never too much.” Cheery digital illustrations complement the English and Spanish text and support emergent reader comprehension.