CHURRO STAND

Lucía, who narrates, helps Mamá make treats that will be covered in cinnamon sugar and served with chocolate sauce. Mamá rolls a suitcase filled with churros as the family travels to Manhattan, where they’ll sell their wares from a pushcart. Mamá joins a diverse community of street vendors who run newsstands and sell a variety of items. Ice cream proves more popular on this hot day, so the children draw sidewalk chalk directions to lure customers to the stand; after a storm washes away the chalk, Mamá joins forces with the ice cream vendor to create delicious churro sundaes. This tale of a small business succeeding is bolstered by illustrations that use perspective to create an almost 3-D effect that makes the action feel immediate and intimate. Spotlighting the power of community, this sweet (pun intended) story is warm and welcoming. An appended glossary defines Spanish terms used in the book, though the tale's first two words—crujido and estallido—are omitted. The family is cued Latine. In an author’s note, González discusses how the many women who sell churros in subway stations in New York City, as well as her own hardworking mother, inspired the narrative.