(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sarah Demonteverde. During the first five years of his life, young Antonio accumulates ten Spanish names affectionately bestowed by his Cuban family members. Along with his surname, there are eponyms, as well as monikers born of special moments or amusing incidents. But on the first day of kindergarten, when Antonio proudly introduces himself to his English-speaking teacher and classmates, they are anything but amused by his tenfold name, to his chagrin, until the school principal empathetically intervenes. This autobiographical picture book (not to be confused with Sacre’s homonymous children's short story collection My Name Is Cool: Stories from a Cuban-Irish-American Storyteller) celebrates cultural naming conventions and affirms bilingual identity. The upbeat digital illustrations are as colorful as Antonio’s backstory.

Reviewer: Summer Edward