(3) K-3 Illustrated by Manuel Monroy. Chepito asks his neighbors why they are doing what they're doing. Their answers--digging weeds to help corn grow; feeding chickens so they will lay eggs; milking a cow to give Chepito's family milk--subtly reveal the connection between food and the environment in the rural community. Monroy's illustrations, created digitally from colored-pencil drawings and watercolors, have a delightfully simple, unhurried look. Glos.

Reviewer: Siena Leslie

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Manuel Monroy. Chepito doesn't want to go to school. He encounters various people in his neighborhood, all of whom are reading. His repeated query, "Why, why, why?" (which grows a little tiresome) elicits different responses that demonstrate the reasons reading and education are so important. Warm-hued pictures illustrate Chepito's quest toward knowledge and enlightenment.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham