Thank you for visiting.
This content is exclusive to subscribers only.
As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
Log In
Don't have a Horn Book Account?
Register Now
Register Now
Medina, Juana
6 Reviews
(2)
K-3
Medina (Juana & Lucas[cfc1], rev. 11/16) gives new readers an inviting, cheerful take on the developmental milestone of learning to ride a bike. Elena, an elephant, straps on her helmet and, with the encouragement of her small bird friend, attempts to ride a two-wheeler. "KA-BANG!" ends one ride. "KA-PLUNK!" ends another. The illustrations use thick lines and bold solid colors to focus readers' attention on Elena, the bird, and the bike. The text is minimal, to the point, and appropriate for a new reader, but it's also musical, playful, and fun to read aloud. Elena "readies" and "steadies," and she "wobbles" and "bobbles." Repetition of words and sound blends serves the needs of children who are building confidence sounding words out, without bogging the story down. The illustrations and sometimes even text placement support decoding. On one page Elena "goes up and down and all around," and we see the corresponding images and text slope up and down the page. After a few tries and some tears, Elena gets the hang of the bike, an apt metaphor for the challenge of learning to read. There are plenty of books about learning to ride a bike, but this one's approachability for its intended audience, bright imagery, and good humor place it near the front of the peloton. Concurrently published in Spanish as Elena monta en bici, as well as in a bilingual (English/Spanish) edition.
Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2023
(1)
1-3
Medina's Bogotá-dwelling protagonist Juana and her beloved dog Lucas return in this sequel to Juana & Lucas. Juana is growing up, and change is looming: Mami is spending time with a new "friend," Luis. Accessible chapters with interspersed art and plenty of white space guide readers through Juana's experiences and emotions. Through it all, Juana can always count on her family's steady love to help solve even the biggest problemas.
Reviewer: Lettycia Terrones
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2019
(3)
PS
Medina embellishes color photos of sweet treats to create forest-animal likenesses meant to teach children about shapes: Macaron Owl represents a circle, Lemon Tart Goldfinches represent triangles, etc. Between this sumptuous book and Medina's two previous food-centric offerings, ABC Pasta and 1 Big Salad, kids can enjoy a balanced diet of basic concepts. A recipe for chocolate-covered strawberries is appended.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(3)
PS
Happily, Medina (1 Big Salad) isn't through playing with her food: here she alphabetically introduces various circus performers representing types of pasta or pasta-friendly ingredients, from "angel hair acrobats" through "zestful zip liner ziti." The digital art cleverly incorporates photos of the featured food (who knew that gemelli resembled a gymnast's legs?). A pasta recipe is appended.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(3)
PS
With the help of a few black lines, a color photo of a cut avocado becomes "one Avocado Deer." Next come "two Radish Mice," and so on, through "ten Clementine Kitties," resulting in "one big delicious salad!" (dressing recipe appended). This is Play with Your Food plus a mission: to make veggies look irresistible.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(1)
1-3
Colombian girl Juana loves many things (especially her dog, Lucas), but not English class--until her grandfather announces a trip to the U.S. The distinctive first-person narration includes interspersed Spanish words (identifiable in context); dynamic illustrations bring Juana's energy to life. This book fills a gap in American children's literature, but it will be beloved for its warm family relationships, read-aloud-able hijinks, and sunny protagonist.
Reviewer: Claire E. Gross
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2016
6 reviews
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.