Sofía’s best realization is that her new lifestyle can lead to other positive accomplishments, which helps to cut the...
A quinceañera and a special purple dress serve as inspiration for a little girl to change her lifestyle with exercise and healthier foods.
Third-grader Sofía is used to wearing her older cousin Rosario's hand-me-down sweaters and shirts, but when a beautifully fitted dress especially given to her for Rosario’s upcoming event is much too tight, her mother gently notes that Sofía has “a little extra here and there.” Losing weight is not easy, but Mom suggests that she and sister Mari can do it together by exercising and eliminating sodas and junk food. Despite some initial grumbling, for the next two months, Sofía, Mari and Mom begin to walk to and from school, eat fruits and veggies for snacks, enjoy dancing to music at home, and have fun ice skating. The happy result is a leaner and more energetic Sofía wearing her fitted dress proudly at Rosario’s party. A combination of collage, acrylic and crayon delineate a richly bronze-toned and dark-haired Latino family in daily life, all shopping, playing and working together to reach a goal. Plump round faces and bellies gradually slim down, with happy smiles all around. The dialogue-driven bilingual English/Spanish text emphasizes that hard work, moral support and determination can successfully meet a challenge.
Sofía’s best realization is that her new lifestyle can lead to other positive accomplishments, which helps to cut the didacticism of this good-hearted book. (activity sheet) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: May 31, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-55885-701-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Piñata Books/Arte Público
Review Posted Online: April 17, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2012
A retro-futuristic romp, literally and figuratively screwy.
Robo-parents Diode and Lugnut present daughter Cathode with a new little brother—who requires, unfortunately, some assembly.
Arriving in pieces from some mechanistic version of Ikea, little Flange turns out to be a cute but complicated tyke who immediately falls apart…and then rockets uncontrollably about the room after an overconfident uncle tinkers with his basic design. As a squad of helpline techies and bevies of neighbors bearing sludge cake and like treats roll in, the cluttered and increasingly crowded scene deteriorates into madcap chaos—until at last Cath, with help from Roomba-like robodog Sprocket, stages an intervention by whisking the hapless new arrival off to a backyard workshop for a proper assembly and software update. “You’re such a good big sister!” warbles her frazzled mom. Wiesner’s robots display his characteristic clean lines and even hues but endearingly look like vaguely anthropomorphic piles of random jet-engine parts and old vacuum cleaners loosely connected by joints of armored cable. They roll hither and thither through neatly squared-off panels and pages in infectiously comical dismay. Even the end’s domestic tranquility lasts only until Cathode spots the little box buried in the bigger one’s packing material: “TWINS!” (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at 52% of actual size.)
A retro-futuristic romp, literally and figuratively screwy. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-544-98731-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2020
Cuándo quieras un perro feliz, look no further.
A young Latine boy finally gets to rescue the dog of his dreams, but training can be a challenge in two languages.
Like many children, José has been dreaming of having a pet of his own, specifically un perro, a dog. Like any good owner, José promptly begins training his new canine companion but soon realizes his rescue mutt, Feliz, knows only words in English. This is a problem because in José’s home everyone speaks both Spanish and English. José and Feliz must rise to the challenge; fortunately, treats and snuggles are great motivators. The narrative uses Spanish words and phrases throughout (“perros blancos,” “¡Yo quiero este!” “¡Sientate!”), usually with English context clues for understanding. This is complex vocabulary for an early reader, and the shifting in phonics from English to Spanish will be challenging for true beginners; the book is best suited for intermediate to advanced readers in dual-language classrooms or homes. Much like Feliz, however, it is sure to find a loving (and bilingual) home. Cheerful illustrations complement the text, helping readers make sense of the narrative. While José and his mother are darker-skinned, his father and sister are lighter-skinned. (This review has been updated for accuracy.)
Cuándo quieras un perro feliz, look no further. (glossary of Spanish-English words) (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: April 25, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-52116-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
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