RAFI AND ROSI

From a small Puerto Rican flag in the cover illustration to the closing notes about (among other topics) mangroves and the bioluminescent algae in Parguera Bay, the setting is more sharply delineated than the characters in this I Can Read. Sandwiched between a glossary and the aforementioned endnotes, both written for more practiced readers, young Rafi uses a magnet to trick his little sister Rosi into believing that he can perform magic, then claims that he’s made the stars fall into the bay’s twinkling waters. In a closing episode, he explains how mangroves grow, then with Rosi’s help recovers an escaped pet hermit crab. In simple cartoon illustrations, Delacre closes each episode on a note of harmony, and casts her sibs as clothed coquis (small frogs) who, despite some teasing, plainly think the world of each other. The informational load is too heavy, but these are sweet tales, with an unusual setting for stories told at such a basic level. (Easy reader. 7-9)