MI ESCUELA IS MY SCHOOL

Tour a school full of art, music, and friendship in Sala and Hoang’s beguiling picture book.

“¡Hola! Soy Ramón.” A brown-skinned Latine child stands in front of la escuelita, which is adorned with a rainbow calling for peace. Our young narrator is here to guide readers through this little school, with its gran árbol (big tree) where Ramón and the other kids start the day, and their salón de clases (classroom), where the students learn arts and crafts, numbers, and kindness. Starring alongside the pint-size chaperone is a class diverse in skin color, culture, and ability. In the library, Señora Martinez reads aloud during storytime to a chorus of “¡Uno más!¡Uno más!” before the students disperse to find books of their own for the week. Music class provides opportunities to bang on the bongos and practice merengue under the tutelage of Señor Suarez, while recess offers moments of elated screams and impressive cartwheels as a shout of “¡Tamales!” comes from the street outside. In place of a formal glossary, Sala’s cozy Spanglish text relies on its accompanying illustrations (with differing levels of success) for contextual translation, pulling readers along on an idyllic school day through Ramón’s affable narration. At its core, Ramón’s little school showcases a much-needed appreciation for educators. Hoang’s scrappy artwork, meanwhile, boasts focal points of color and smiles galore among predominantly white backdrops.

A cheery first glimpse at school.