THE OLD MAN AND HIS DOOR

Soto (The Cat's Meow, 1995, etc.) has a lighthearted approach to the perils of miscommunication. The viejo (old man) is told by his wife to bring el puerco (pig) to a barbecue, but he hears it as la puerta (door). Trudging through the village streets with his front door strapped to his back, he finds a host of creative uses for the bizarre potluck offering: He provides a resting place for a goose, helps move a piano, and saves a boy from drowning. The story pokes gentle fun at the elderly while showing the social value of eccentric points of view. The fact that the misunderstanding takes place in another language heightens the fun; confusing a door with a pig is even more ludicrous in English than in Spanish. A sprinkling of common Spanish terms appear in the text and are included in a glossary, while Cepeda makes brilliant use of color, form, and perspective to add humor to the work. It's a story children will want to retell themselves. (Picture book. 4-8)