(2) K-3 Illustrated by Beatriz Vidal. This is a lightly fictionalized picture-book biography of Mexican author Sor (Sister) Juana Inés de la Cruz (1648–1695), then keeper of one of the largest libraries in the Americas. Watercolor and gouache illustrations lend a sunny, idyllic feel to Juana's Mexico. As the original Horn Book review noted, there's no formal bibliography, but Mora acknowledges the work of "the Sor Juanistas, scholars of Sor Juana." Appended with an author's note and glossary for interspersed Spanish words. Concurrently published with a new edition in Spanish: Una biblioteca para Juana.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2002; November, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Raul Colón. In this cheerful, inspiring volume, poems celebrate writing, reading, poetry, storytelling, and creativity. In watercolor and Prismacolor pencils, Colón's illustrations depict diverse groups of people and animals enjoying words, books, and imagination. Bits of Spanish throughout the verses add to the multicultural appeal. Author's notes at the beginning and end further encourage young readers to experience "wordjoy" in their own writings.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(4) K-3 Translated by Gabriela Baeza Ventura. Illustrated by Robert Casilla. In a pre-Mexico indigenous village, Mamá Alma talks to Bella about how she's growing old. They share memories and plan how Bella can remember the grandmother when she's gone. The book is text-heavy, a fault visually magnified by the accompanying Spanish translations; while stiff, the illustrations contribute setting details. A valuable author's note discusses the now-"misunderstood" tradition of the Day of the Dead.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Meilo So. Fourteen three-line verses, in English and Spanish, celebrate water in its many forms. Each verse is accompanied by a majestic painting from a specific place in the world, from Arizona to Zambia. Skillful alliteration and assonance in the English versions are mostly lost in the literal Spanish translations, but in either language, the poems, read aloud, can be as dramatic as the accompanying illustrations.

Reviewer: Kathleen T. Horning | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2014

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Patrice Barton. A Mexican American girl and her great-aunt Lobo learn the Pledge of Allegiance: young Libby practices so she can lead her class at school; Lobo will recite the Pledge at her upcoming citizenship ceremony. Their love for each other is affectionately shown in the soft, digitally rendered illustrations, full of red, white, and blue. An author's note introduces the real Lobo.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Amelia Lau Carling. A mouse family living in an old theater decides to put on its own show. The youngest mouse finds a clever way to use both audience participation and bilingualism (of sorts) to frighten off a predatory cat mid-performance. Inspired by a Mexican American folktale, the story has a deliciously slow build. The illustrations are a bit awkwardly rendered.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Steve Johnson & Lou Fancher. Grandma Lupita tells Rose and a friend the story of Juan Diego, summoned in 1531 by the Lady of Guadalupe to build a church. Juan Diego struggles to attract support from his town, but he eventually succeeds by way of a miracle. The illustrations capture the tenderness of the story and accurately depict the time period, but the decorative borders are distracting.

Reviewer: Belinda Arrendondo

(4) YA Although Mora lauds the "intensity of the teen years" in her author's note, the adolescent narrators of these poems about relationships lost, found, and longed for speak in voices that are sometimes too restrained or muted to be entirely convincing. Still, the collection--a mix of free verse and formal poetry; of English sprinkled with Spanish--has an inviting, tender feel.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Rafael López. This volume extends the Mexican celebration of El día de los niños (The Day of the Child) by adding books to the mix (El día de los libros). Mora's rhymed text extols reading anywhere, anytime, and together with anyone. López's rich-hued images of children reading in unexpected places (e.g., an elephant's back) and exotic locales rejoice in imagination and universality.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(2) K-3 Translated by Adriana Dominguez. Illustrated by John Parra. A boy says thanks to everything, from the sun that wakes him up to his pajamas. He's also grateful for friends and family, ocean waves, and ladybugs. Often poetic, often funny, Mora's text is presented in Spanish first, then English. Parra's folk-art-style acrylic illustrations look as though they're painted on wood; the lines and imperfections give the pictures a worn, homey appearance.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2010

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Magaly Morales. In this zippy spin on "The Twelve Days of Christmas," a cherub-like girl dances across the pages as she accumulates gifts from her amiga. Morales's candy-colored acrylic paintings play with space and proportion and exude the girl's contagious holiday joy. The double-page spreads contain pronunciation guides for both gifts and numbers. Informative author's and illustrator's notes and music are appended. Glos.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2009

(3) PS My Family / Mi familia series. Illustrated by Maribel Suárez. Mora continues her series of family-life vignettes with this story of some unexpected lunch guests. When Danny comes to the table with wiggling pockets, Mom and Dad ask what he has in them. Four frogs jump out and cause minor chaos. The simple text in both English and Spanish and the warm illustrations portray a loving family.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Amelia Lau Carling. Amelia's father tells of the abuelos, the "old men of the mountains" who make sure children behave. Frightened after seeing some figures descend the mountain for real, Amelia realizes it's the men of the village in masks, who are carrying on a New Mexican cultural tradition. Mora's writing and Carling's watercolor, pastel, and colored-pencil illustrations are warm.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(3) PS My Family / Mi familia series. Illustrated by Maribel Suárez. Simple sentences, first in English, then in Spanish, portray family experiences. Abuelita tucks in her grandchildren ("Shh, shh, the squirrels are sleeping") in Dreams, giving each child a comforting kiss. Eat portrays the family enjoying a traditional meal together, which makes them feel rich indeed. Clean, unfussy illustrations match the accessible tone of the stories. Review covers these My Family / Mi familia titles: Let's Eat! / ¡A Comer! and Sweet Dreams / Dulces sueños.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(3) PS My Family / Mi familia series. Illustrated by Maribel Suárez. Tina and her brother Danny discover their pet cat's hiding places. Mora's Spanish and English texts are well placed for reading aloud in both languages. The story's simple language and the bright double-page spreads make this ideal for group sharing.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(3) K-3 Photographs by George Ancona. "'Join hands!' is what we say. / We sing canciones, too..." Pantoum, a poetic structure in which the second and fourth lines of each stanza become the first and third of the next, is the vehicle for this celebration of friendship and community. Spirited photographs, some within colorful framed boxes, show kids of different ethnicities singing, dancing, and playing together.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) PS My Family / Mi familia series. Illustrated by Maribel Suárez. Simple sentences, first in English, then in Spanish, portray family experiences. Abuelita tucks in her grandchildren ("Shh, shh, the squirrels are sleeping") in Dreams, giving each child a comforting kiss. Eat portrays the family enjoying a traditional meal together, which makes them feel rich indeed. Clean, unfussy illustrations match the accessible tone of the stories. Review covers these My Family / Mi familia titles: Let's Eat! / ¡A Comer! and Sweet Dreams / Dulces sueños.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Rafael López. Fourteen haiku celebrate blueberries, chiles, chocolate, corn, pineapples, and other foods from North and South America. The language is light and kid-friendly: "Round roly-poly / squirts seedy, juicy splatter. / Red bursts in your mouth." Sidebars provide notes on each food. Acrylic on wood-panel illustrations dance with color and whimsy, complementing the high-spirited, playful descriptions of food in all its delicious diversity. Bib.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) PS Illustrated by Doug Cushman. After lulling the zookeepers to sleep, a marimba-playing monkey and the other animales party at the zoo. Most of the text in this lively alphabet book is in English, but each page includes a Spanish word (usually the name of an animal) that is a cognate. At times the generally rhythmic text is jarringly offbeat. A translation and pronunciation guide is included.

Reviewer: Amanda Sullivan

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Beatriz Vidal. This biography introduces the seventeenth-century Mexican scholar. Based on a few known facts, the fictionalized text, focused on Juana Inés's longing to read, will strike a responsive chord in many young readers; her efforts to achieve her goals will intrigue them. Colorful, meticulously detailed illustrations support the text's cozy tone and extend its impact. Concurrently published in Spanish. Glos.

Reviewer: Mary M. Burns | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2002