(2) K-3 Illustrated by John Parra. "Sometimes it felt like the whole world was a parade, performing right outside Eloisa's musical window." Eloísa is grateful for la musica -- usually consisting of a neighbor's radio and other sounds from the street -- and the cheer it brings in this picture book set in a historical Cuba. Her mother is sick, and the only treatment the doctor recommends is "soup, soup, and more soup." When an impromptu live band forms outside the window one day, Eloísa's mother suddenly feels strong enough to walk outside cautiously to listen to the growing fiesta. Engle's lyrical text describes noises from the neighborhood animals and the traditional Cuban instruments the musicians play. Parra's (illustrator of Spanish Is the Language of My Family, rev. 7/23) distinctive hand-painted and digitally collaged art features characters with different skin tones and uses a pleasantly washed-out palette for backgrounds. Music is represented by floating notes as well as blue and red ribbons and starbursts (perhaps a nod to the Cuban flag). An author's note provides some much-needed context about the real-life experience with illness that inspired the story; a glossary of Cuban instruments is also appended. Concurrently published in Spanish as Eloísa y su ventanita musical.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Krystal Quiles. This picture book follows a day in the life of a churro vendor in New York City, as narrated by her young daughter. Pastel-hued gouache and acrylic illustrations sprinkled with small starbursts highlight the sweet and beautiful aspects of this career, but the text does not over-glamorize, mentioning Mamá’s soreness and the anxieties the family feels about selling enough churros. The book ends in happy, delicious collaboration with a fellow vendor. Concurrently published in Spanish as El carrito de churros.

Reviewer:

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Devon Holzwarth. As cold weather gives way to spring, the monarch butterfly migration begins, and Lucia's papa commences his own journey north. The forested region near the Mexican state of Michoacan is home to Lucia and her family (who are implied, from the back matter, to be Mazahua Indigenous people of the region) and to millions of monarchs, which hibernate there during winter months. Through lyrical text, Harmony describes the parallel journeys of the butterflies and migrant farm workers like Papa, who travel miles "across rivers and mountains" with a guiding sense of purpose; as he reassures his daughter: "When the weather turns cold and the monarcas return, our winged ancestors will guide me home." Lush greens of regional flora frame almost every page and ground the connection between nature and people. The illustrations -- rendered in gouache, watercolor, pencil, crayon, and digital elements -- capture the flitting motion of the monarchs, shifting viewpoints to allow readers to admire their patterned wings or marvel at the specks of orange flying en masse. An author's note detailing the monarch migration and the butterfly's cultural significance in the region; a Spanish glossary; and a "How Can We Help?" section are appended. Concurrently published in Spanish as Un aleteo de esperanza.

Reviewer: Jessica Agudelo | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Beatriz Gutiérrez Hernández. When the nocturnal animals that surround a family's house in the desert come out, "they howl and buzz and hoot -- a chorus in need of a band." On the ample porch, each family member plays an instrument (some passed down from ancestors) that complements a natural sound -- maracas that sound like rattlesnakes, a flute "calling down the wind." The child narrator is learning to play guitar from Grandma and practices diligently to be able to join in the nightly concert. Gutiirréz Hernández's expansive illustrations -- digitally rendered from acrylic gouache and colored pencil -- open with sunny pinks and gradually deepen into inky blue-greens and pearlescent whites as night falls. Kemp's lyrical metaphors set the desert stage, and "an audience of [the family's] ancestors" dances in the stars above and in their memories. The narrator's parents remind them that nature is full of memories: the moon is "a memory of the sun," and Mami sings "about the cacti remembering the rain." A gorgeous, intergenerational reflection on being mindful of the present while remembering and honoring loved ones from the past. Notes from author and illustrator are appended. Concurrently published in Spanish as Cancisn del desiertó.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(3) PS Illustrated by Gabriela Vega. To keep track of her rollicking brood and eventually scare off a predator in this bilingual counting book, Mamá javelina calls her babies using a Spanish counting song “Dos y dos son cuatro. / Cuatro y dos son seis. / Seis y dos son ocho, / y ocho dieciséis.” Alternating English lines help translate the song contextually (literally translated in the back matter), and richly colored illustrations bring the javelinas’ desert home to life.

Reviewer:

(2) YA Desert and rural landscapes from the U.S. Southwest serve as the backdrop to the coming-of-age stories of two childhood friends. High school senior Magdalena "Mags" Herrera, who lives with her abuela, is in a secret relationship with a girl at school. Mags is afflicted by grief, guilt, and uncertainty for a variety of reasons, and when her childhood friend Nessa, who is trans, comes back to their small town, it stirs up a rollercoaster of emotions. As the two friends spend time together, they uncover repressed memories, including a friend's death. A mysterious creature that lives in Mags and Abuela's basement brings mythical elements to the narrative and connects to family and personal secrets. The illustrations in this graphic novel effectively shift between black-and-white for the present story and color to represent childhood memories. Although Mags's heritage isn't specifically named, the incorporation of Spanish language (with occasional errors and, at times, an overly formal tone), settings, names, and motifs indicates a Latinx Catholic household. Strengths of the novel include the fully fleshed-out queer characters as well as the depiction of their internal and external battles as Mags and Nessa release their respective hurts and discover their real selves. An author's note, with images, reflects on Ostertag's process.

Reviewer: Sujei Lugo | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Rodolfo Montalvo. Two children embark on a journey together when a girl lands her boat on an island where a boy is stranded. After their initial shock, they start to communicate, the boy in Spanish and the girl in English. They attempt to leave the island by boat, but their plan is foiled by a storm that leaves the girl stranded on the island and the boy lost at sea. She sounds a conch shell as her new friend taught her, which leads the boy back to the island. Spencer and Montalvo's story explores concepts of forming friendships, building connections, and overcoming the fear of differences. The simple, meaningful text alternates between Spanish and English, exposing readers to both languages, without translations. The die-cut cover features a symbolic overlay of the boy looking through binoculars from the island, while the girl is visible -- within his lenses -- looking at the island from her boat through her looking glass. Montalvo's crisp illustrations evoke the sights, scents, and sounds of a tropical island setting. The binoculars and looking glass are cleverly used throughout to indicate the pair's progression to friendship, and, after a warm culminating gatefold image, to indicate a hopeful ending.

Reviewer: Nicholas A. Brown | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(3) PS An inviting introduction to English and Spanish color names and Mexican/Mexican American celebrations. Each bilingual spread in this board book highlights an item of a different color (“enchiladas rojas,” “blue shawl,” “sombreros negros”) typically found at a fiesta, followed by a cheerful scene of the item in use. The text culminates with “¡Una fiesta de colores! // A festival of colors!” featuring everyone and everything from the preceding pages.

Reviewer:

(2) K-3 Miguel and his abuelito wake early to work; the grandfather sells cold coconuts from a small, wheeled cart, and the boy sells dream catchers he makes, a craft that reminds him of his absent (perhaps deceased?) parents. The boy is saving up to buy an airplane, his dream. As they make their way through town selling their wares, they talk about what people might dream of. Some dreams are big, such as living in a castle or changing the world; others are smaller, such as having enough food. Miguel's grandfather reiterates that "selling my cold coconuts next to you and seeing you smile is all I dream of. I like it here and now because we're together." There is a powerful interplay between the words and Verdad's acrylic paint and digital collage illustrations, dominated by blocky shapes and crayon-like textures. This is most poignantly displayed when the grandfather tells Miguel that some people dream of seeing someone they miss as the boy gazes at two parents walking with their young child. Verdad shows artistic restraint, allowing the reader to intuit meaning and emotional depth by interpreting what this interaction and others like it mean. A moving story of appreciating what you have while still dreaming of a different future.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Magdalena Mora. "¡Parque sí, policía no!" This fictionalized account -- narrated by a young person -- shares the dramatic culmination of efforts by Chicane residents of Barrio Logan to build Chicano Park in San Diego in 1970. When the city began building a police station in the space where the community had long called for a park, residents launched a protest to physically block the construction. Águila weaves together images of daily life in Barrio Logan with community members' experiences of the city's lengthy neglect and environmental racism against their community, to tell the story of the fight to build the park, which was ultimately successful. Spanish vocabulary and slogans used by Chicane and other Latine activists are interspersed throughout the text and illustrations. Mora employs a blend of vivid colors, sepia tones, and pastel hues to highlight the intensity of the struggle and the everyday beauty for which the protesters were fighting, ending with depictions of the inspiring murals that residents eventually painted in the park. Although the story seems condensed, an author's note explains the rapid succession of this phase of the protest and provides more details about the ongoing discrimination suffered by the community. Concurrently published in Spanish as El barrio se levanta.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) PS In this warm tale of family, particularly the bond between mother and daughter, young Chino observes, "Every night before bed, Mama ties her scarf around her head. To keep her hair all soft and nice." Chino loves Mama's silky scarf, with its big red circles and little blue circles, and she is delighted when Mama lets her play with it while she is at work. Chino shows her toy bunny (who talks back "in her secret voice") all the wonderful things that it can do: the scarf is a blanket for Bunny, it's used for exercise in the backyard with Grandpa, and it's a hiding spot for peekaboo with Grandma. When Mama comes home, she allows Chino to wear the scarf (which, at the dinner table, even helps Papa convince the girl to try her vegetables) until it is time for her to go to bed. While Mama's patterned scarf is the focus, Avelino has incorporated bright shapes and patterns throughout the house and on the family members' clothing. In her picture-book debut, acclaimed adult author Adichie (here "writing as Nwa Grace-James") has incorporated upbeat interactions with every member of Chino's family as they engage her in imaginative play. As a result, she is confident as she "parents" Bunny throughout the day and into the evening. The Spanish edition, El panuelo de mama, will be published in February 2024.

Reviewer: Eboni Njoku | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Richy Sánchez Ayala. Maribel, a young girl with Costa Rican and Mexican heritage, narrates the story of her family’s experience with housing insecurity due to parental job loss. Although grateful to be sojourning at an aunt’s house where there are scads of sportive cousins and exuberant family dinners, crowded quarters have their inconveniences, and Maribel and her older sister inevitably pine for their old life. Visions of a new home, and their papi’s reminders that their displacement is temporary, help them look to the future with optimism. The decision to leave the frequent Spanish words unglossed is a smart choice for a story that avoids "othering" people experiencing homelessness. Upbeat digital illustrations temper the poignancy. A bittersweet tale about the triumph of family and faith in the face of uncertainty.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gastón Hauviller. A young Latina girl and her grandmother connect over the homely pleasures of baking bread, sewing, and making trips to the outdoor market, although the old woman is showing signs of ailing. She gently prepares her granddaughter for her impending death by reassuring her of the indissolubility of their relationship -- the places they visit, activities they enjoy together, and the natural world that connects them to something beyond themselves will all remind the girl of her grandmother’s tender, fortifying love long after the day she breathes her last. The book addresses the subjects of aging and illness in an age-appropriate manner. Both Hauviller’s textured illustrations and Camacho-Church’s bilingual English/Spanish text are imbued with the warmth of treasured memories of their own grandmothers.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Alejandro Mesa. This Spanglish take on “The Night Before Christmas” shares a family’s traditions for “la noche before Three Kings Day” (Día de los Reyes or Día de Reyes in Spanish), which celebrates the arrival of the Reyes Magos on the sixth day of January. Cheerful digital illustrations with a mid-century-esque flair show the family decorating shoeboxes to leave out for gifts and candy from the Reyes Magos, eating “scrumptious comida,” and dancing. The elaborately drawn Reyes Magos shine -- literally -- when they finally arrive, and the whimsical spread depicting them flying off on camels is a fitting finale.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(2) 4-6 Cuevas (The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez; Cuba in My Pocket, rev. 11/21) presents another humorous, sensitive, and compelling story, with hints of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. Rafael, a twelve-year-old Cuban American from Miami, likes to lose himself in role-playing games with his friends. These extended fantasy adventures help him forget how much his life has changed since his mother became ill. After a game-based prank goes badly, his father sends him away for the summer to Rancho Espanto in New Mexico. There Rafa makes new friends while working as a ranch hand, but still living mostly in his fantasy world. When he encounters what he believes is a ghost and has glimpses of alternate realities, Rafa must confront his own "ghosts" and deal with his fears in real life. The character experiences northern New Mexico through a newcomer's eyes, and Cuevas's descriptions of grooming horses, hiking in canyons, and eating green chilies are vivid and immediate. The author incorporates Cuban Spanish words and phrases naturally into the narrative. Topics of illness, death, anxiety, and PTSD give this book some depth but do not overwhelm the story or detract from its appeal to a diverse audience.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) 4-6 Twelve-year-old Mari loves her family but tries to avoid "Peak Cubanity," the times she feels their Cuban heritage sticks out in her small Texan town. When everyone else burns effigies in the backyard on New Year's Eve to ward off bad luck, Mari refuses to burn hers, worried that a neighbor girl, who bullies her for her ethnicity, is watching. This curses Mari: a crocodile-shaped mark appears on her arm, bugs follow her in school, and her violin attacks her during mariachi practice. Worse, the curse spreads to a friend. Luckily, Mari has a newfound power to summon the ghosts of her ancestors, some of whom died trying to flee Cuba alongside her abuelitos. They explain that she has the curse of El Cocodrilo, who feeds on misery. The plan she concocts to vanquish "this Cocodrilo guy" relies on the embrace of her Peak Cubanity. Although the text deals with heavy themes, Cuevas keeps a light tone and inserts moments of humor (a young ancestor's superpower is super-snot). Readers will relate to Mari's self-consciousness and fear of change in her friend group, and an explanation of microaggressions from one of Mari's peers is easy to digest. Spanish is interspersed, translated contextually for readers, and an author's note gives more details on Cuevas's bilingual family and Latine New Year's traditions.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) K-3 Aurora learned English when she came to the United States, but Nena, her cute brown and white spaniel, only understands commands given in Spanish. "She doesn't know WAIT, but she knows ESPERA." At the dog park, when someone throws a ball and yells "'FETCH'...Nena joins in only when Aurora yells ‘¡BÚSCALA!'" While Aurora helps Nena navigate the English-speaking world outside, she communicates with Nena in Spanish at home. The illustrations show household objects tagged with yellow sticky notes displaying both English and Spanish words. This book gently explores the idea of second-language acquisition, children who translate for others, and code switching, suggesting patience with those who learn at different speeds. "Aurora is not concerned that Nena doesn't know English yet, because she will always be there to help." Colorful, happy digitally rendered illustrations show the closeness between girl and dog, and Nena's friendly, affectionate nature. Concurrently published in Spanish as Mi perro solo habla español.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Henry Cole. In this folktale retelling, Pepe the parrot doesn't know what he's getting himself into when he invites his crush, Carina Felina, over for some homemade Cuban crackers. Carina, a fluffy aqua-colored feline with a Cheshire Cat grin, immediately polishes off all one hundred crackers. When Pepe protests, she proclaims, "Why, I'm Carina Felina! / I do what I like and / I eat what I wish. / Step out of my way, / or be my next dish!" and snarfs him down too. Carina then struts through town, eating anyone who doesn't heed her warning. She grows comically larger with every meal, and the cartoonlike illustrations show the people and animals inside her belly. The mayhem finally stops when two cangrejos--crabs who have been watching the whole time--goad her into eating them. In her stomach they declare, "!Basta! Enough!" They snip themselves and everyone else free, and Carina is left to stitch herself up. Deedy's catchy text is clever through the final playfully gruesome scene. Cole emphasizes the humor in the tale with pencil and digital illustrations that feature expressive townsfolk and animals. Storytime listeners will be chanting along with Carina's refrain by her second snack and will enjoy going back to search for the two cangrejos in each encounter. Back matter includes information about the folktale (told in many cultures), a glossary of Spanish words, and a recipe for Cuban crackers--bake at your own risk. Will be published in a Spanish paperback edition in September 2023 as El cuento de Carina Felina.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(2) PS Illustrated by Zara González Hoang. "His miau miau was sweet / as he pranced down the street, / calling, '¡Oye! ¿Qué pasó, papo?'" This lighthearted counting book, written in a smooth blend of Spanish and English, follows Gato Guapo and nine kitten hermanitos on a jaunt through town. When Gato Guapo stops to count the kittens, however, he discovers numero nueve is missing: "OH NO! Where's Rodrigo?" A page-turn reveals "silly Rodrigo" sporting Gato Guapo's sunglasses and declaring, "¡Yo soy Gato Guapo!" With each counting attempt, from nueve down to dos, another kitten disappears (we never see where), always popping up on the following spread wearing an article of dapper clothing and claiming to be Gato Guapo. Finally, with just "one lonely gatito" left, Gato Guapo realizes: "Who took all my clothes?" Playful drawings, rendered digitally from watercolor and colored pencil, provide a clever and engaging backdrop that features other animal characters and Spanish vocabulary. A list of Spanish words and phrases is appended.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(2) YA Fleeing Fidel Castro's Cuba in 1960, Victoria's family is sure they will be in Miami for only a few weeks--a few months, max--until the United States helps topple Castro's regime. Still, soon-to-be-thirteen-year-old Victoria is devastated to leave her home country and her "prima hermana," Jackie, behind. Diaz alternates focus between the cousins to describe this fraught moment in history. For Victoria, life in America is not easy, and she has to take on adult responsibilities to help feed her family. When communication with Cuba is almost completely cut, Jackie fears that Victoria has forgotten her. Jackie is eventually sent to live in Miami through Operation Peter Pan, and the girls struggle to deal with the challenges of their new reality--which, it increasingly becomes clear, will be permanent--as well as navigating the social landscape of junior high. Using personal interactions among Victoria, Jackie, and their new peers, Diaz does not shy away from addressing intertwined issues of the time period, including school integration, Cold War anti-Russian prejudice, and racial and gender dynamics within the family. The book's ending, if somewhat farfetched, allows for a happy, hopeful reunion in Miami with Jackie's parents and baby brother and the girls' grandmother. An author's note and extensive Spanish glossary are appended. Spanish-language edition, Hasta siempre Cuba, mi isla, forthcoming (12/23)

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023