(4) K-3 Illustrated by Cecilia Concepcion Alvarez. Antonio is embarrassed by his mother's female partner--Leslie dresses butch and has paint splashed on her overalls (she's an artist). Although overcomplicated by a subtheme about spelling, this is an otherwise appealing if message-driven book about a nontraditional family. Bright, happy colors in the full-page illustrations reinforce the optimistic tone. The text is in English and Spanish.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Rosa Ibarra. Every day Soledad comes home from school to a lonely, empty house. With the help of her imagination, she finds ways to alleviate her boredom and appreciate the time she has to herself. This lengthy text, in both Spanish and English, aptly portrays the plight of kids without after-school programs. While figures in the illustrations are occasionally awkward, the colorful minimalist style is effective.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham