JUST IN CASE

Even better, if possible, than its predecessor, Just A Minute! (2003), this original trickster tale pitches Señor Calavera (i.e., Death—rendered as a skeleton topped by a hilariously expressive sugar skull) into a frantic hunt for birthday presents for his elderly friend Grandma Beetle. Enter Zelmiro the ghost, a white-haired gent with twinkling eyes, who helpfully suggests that “the best present to give a friend is the thing she would love the most.” But what could that be? Bigotes (mustaches), because she has none? Un Chiflido (whistle) trapped in a bag? Fretting about how much of the party he’s missing, Señor Calavera collects something for every letter of the Spanish alphabet from Acordeón to Yerbabuena—but then an accident leaves him with nothing…or does it? Richly hued and filled with action, the illustrations capture the tale’s humor and Latin flavor perfectly, leading on to an entirely logical, hilarious and heartwarming surprise at the end. As gifted an artist as she is a storyteller, Morales is in top form here. (Picture book. 6-9)