(3) K-3 Illustrated by Rafael López. Hoping to brighten her "gray city," Mira gifts her art to the diverse people around her. Her quest expands when she meets an artist; together they involve the whole neighborhood in filling every surface with art and poetry. The mixed-media illustrations--created by one of the founders of the Urban Art Trail movement on which this story is based--joyfully celebrate creation and community.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by David Diaz. Free-verse narrative poems offer a personal look at the diverse lives of Latino children; essays giving readers cultural and historical context follow each. Common themes such as immigration are explored, but this book's greatest strength is its respectful treatment of oft-ignored cultures such as Sephardic Jews and Zapotec peoples. Diaz's compelling hand-cut black-and-white illustrations lend a folk-art feel. Reading list. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Siena Leslie

(3) PS Illustrated by Ulises Wensell. English version by Rosalma Zubizarreta. This illustrated version of the well-known traditional Spanish nursery rhyme "Diez perritos" provides a great opportunity for bilingual storytimes. Lively contemporary-set pictures put the playful pups front and center; there's even a list of the breeds at the end. This is a perfect example of what publishers should be doing for the bilingual/Spanish-language market.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(3) K-3 Translated by Rosalma Zubizarreta. Illustrated by Viví Escrivá. This collection presents nineteen traditional Spanish-language Christmas carols along with English translations. Section introductions in both languages describe related holiday traditions. The song translations make occasional minor changes for the sake of rhythm and rhyme, but only when the general meaning can be preserved. Colorful illustrations of squat, doll-like figures display Latin American holiday practices. Includes music for six songs.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) 4-6 This collection presents twelve Latino folktales, some well known and some more obscure, each of which concludes with thoughtful source notes. The four illustrators' styles, although different, are unified by some common design elements and complement the stories they accompany. Sections titled "To Begin a Story" and "To End a Story" give Spanish- and English-language equivalents for traditional story starters and endings.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(4) PS Illustrated by Maribel Suárez. Lullabies, games, nursery rhymes, songs, and riddles, presented in both English and Spanish, make up this bilingual collection, which is enhanced by cheery illustrations. Two problems limit the book's usefulness: the introductory material is presented in English only (which doesn't help Spanish-speakers) and the English translations are sometimes extremely loose (which doesn't help someone wishing to better understand either language). Ind.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(2) PS Illustrated by Jose Aruego & Ariane Dewey. Crafty fox Rosa Raposa and greedy Jaguar are the perfect stock characters for a lively trio of tales adapted from Spanish sources and reset in the Brazilian jungle. In all three tales, Jaguar is outwitted because Rosa Raposa knows how to appeal to his weaknesses: greed, vanity, ignorance. With its brilliant, interpretive illustrations well synchronized with a thoughtfully placed text, this is a real find for story hours.

Reviewer: Mary M. Burns | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2003