Review by New York Times Review
A talking tiger, a crocodile doctor, a sad pair of socks and more in these stories to fire up a kid's imagination. LITTLE DOCTOR AND THE FEARLESS BEAST Written and illustrated by Sophie Gilmore. Little Doctor is a specialist in crocodiles, as we can see from the enormous green patients who flock to her examination room (which, shhhh, may just be a backyard office). She ministers to them with deep concentration, applying long bandages and tender, expert care - and cures them all except a toughie called Big Mean, who refuses to unclasp her jaws. There's a scary trip inside the beast's mouth, and a happy ending involving the adorable hatchlings Big Mean was of course carrying in there. With its softly detailed, virtuoso art and a perfectly wrought story full of heart and respect for the imaginative rules of children's play, this debut shines. 32 pp. Owlkids. $17.95. (Ages 4 to 8.) THINKER: MY PUPPY POET AND ME By Eloise Greenfield. Illustrated by Ehsan Abdollahi. In this charming book of linked poems - the story of a pup who speaks, but only in verse - the distinguished children's poet Green-field glides gracefully between rhyme, free verse, haiku and rap. A boy named Jace becomes the dog's owner. He names him Thinker ("I'm deep and I'm a poet," the dog warns. "A cute name's not O.K.") and the two have back-and-forth chats about life. On every page, Abdollahi's collaged illustrations bring the characters to life with a soulful flair. 32 pp. Jabberwocky/Sourcebooks. $15.99. (Ages 4 to 8.) MY PAPI HAS A MOTORCYCLE By Isabel Quintero. Illustrated by Zeke Peña. Southern California is home to almost 24 million, yet few picture books show us life there, or tell stories about its vibrant immigrant communities. This delightful book bursts into the gap: A girl named Daisy takes a spin on the back of her carpenter papi's motorcycle, greeting friends and relatives, noting historical murals and stopping at his work site. "Even in all that noise, my papi's voice touches everything," she says. There's no earthshaking story, just the sweet rumble of family love, neighborhood pride, the dignity of work and the joy of a fast ride. Yet Quintero's warm, economical text and the desert-sunset tones of Pena's comics-inflected art feel like a revelation. 32 pp. Kokila/Penguin Random House. $17.99. (Ages 4 to 8.) VAMOS! LET'S GO TO THE MARKET By Raul the Third. Like "My Papi Has a Motorcycle," this book opens a welcome and welcoming door into Latino culture. Raul the Third also offers zany humor and low-key language lessons (assorted Spanish words are translated in the margins). Little Lobo, a nattily dressed wolf, makes deliveries to a marketplace of artisans, entertainers and vendors. "Everywhere people are going to work. Everyone has a different job," from puppeteer to pinata maker. With an array of interesting creatures and vignettes crammed into the illustrations, the effect is a high-spirited hybrid of Richard Scarry and Mexican comics. 48 pp. Versify/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. $14.99. (Ages 4 to 8.) SOCK STORY By CK Smouha. Illustrated by Eleonora Marton. Two socks, a pair, tumble around in the washing machine, doing tricks like "double axel triple flip" and annoying the larger items. It's all fun and games until the spin cycle, when they're separated - and one takes refuge in the pocket of a non-color-fast red shirt. Eek! Can an unmatching duo still be partners? Those raising a style-conscious child will know the answer these days is a resounding yes. Still, Smouha and Marton wring genuine suspense and edgy humor out of this clever, colorful tale. 32 pp. Cicada. $14.95. (Ages 4 to 8.) THE HIDEOUT By Susanna Mattiangeli. Illustrated by Felicita Sala. Nothing beats a secret place, and even better if, as in this enthralling story, it's hidden in a public space. Someone's calling Hannah, but she's decided to go live inside a bush in the park, wearing a feather cape, making a fire and befriending an Odd Furry Creature. Or did she just draw the whole thing? The homage here to "Where the Wild Things Are" may be subtle, but it brings a smile. 32 pp. Abrams. $16.99. (Ages 4 to 8.) POWER UP By Seth Fishman. Illustrated by Isabel Greenberg. Your pinkie, this innovative book explains, "has enough energy to light up one of the biggest cities in the world" for a day Fishman and Greenberg ("A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars") turn something kids instinctively understand - the energy in our bodies - into a lesson in biology and physics, and the real importance of food and sleep. 40 pp. Greenwillow/HarperCollins. $17.99. (Ages 4 to 8.) CAMP TIGER By Susan Choi. Illustrated by John Rocco. Summer's almost over, and the narrator of this sweetly mysterious first children's book by the literary novelist Choi is dreading the start of first grade. A family camping trip brings him face to face with a tiger - one that talks. With the tiger's help, the boy catches a fish and even, in a stunning wordless sequence, ventures into the woods at night to leap across rocks and howl at the moon. Rocco's ("Blackout") art gives an emotionally astute story even more depth. 40 pp. Putnam. $17.99. (Ages 5 to 8.) MARIA RUSSO is the children's books editor for the Book Review.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [May 12, 2019]
Review by Booklist Review
Excellent for English and Spanish language learners alike, this bilingual book for young readers combines language acquisition and cultural themes, telling a simple story while giving readers a real feast for the eyes in its richly detailed, full-color cartoon scenes depicting the animal denizens of El Mercado. Little Lobo's day at the market involves running around everywhere delivering packages. While he's at it, readers can wander around the pages full of background action in the Richard Scarry-like scenes, filled with busy merchants and labyrinthine layouts, a maze of pathways, shops, and booths. Everything is inconspicuously labeled with Spanish terms, the dialogue is often translated for non-Spanish speakers, and the scenery references many aspects of Mexican culture, such as sugar skulls, Cantinflas and other icons, cultural dress, cuisine, folk music and dancing, Lucha libre, and much more. A helpful glossary at the end fills any gaps. This lively, inviting picture book offers readers a playful glimpse into a desert world surrounded by mountains and cactuses.--Kristina Pino Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This picture book graphic novel by RaAºl the Third (Low Riders to the Center of the Earth) celebrates the richness of border-town culture. The artist shows Little Lobo and his dog BernabAc as they make deliveries to Mercado de ChauhtAcmoc la Curiosidad, "a maze of pathways, shops, and booths." Spanish and English words intermingle on the page as Little Lobo goes first to a warehouse to pick up items merchants have asked for ("clothes pins-pinzas para la ropa"), then heads for the market. Witty, stylish panel artwork crackles with funky comic energy, and the market churns with activity as merchants sell sweets (Little Lobo buys a churro), make piA±atas, and paint on velvet. Little Lobo brings the clothespins to SeA±or Duende, who gives him a comic book about his favorite luchador, El Toro. "It would be great if we could meet El Toro one day," Little Lobo sighs. Miraculously, as if the pleasures of churros and comics were not enough, he gets to give his hero a ride home. Most pleasing is the market's atmosphere of warmth and affection: "Siempre tiene prisa!" the jarmaker clucks fondly after Little Lobo: "Always in a hurry!" Spanish words define background objects throughout (fuego describes a fire breather's warm emanation) and a Spanish-to-English glossary concludes this inventive picture book. Ages 4-7. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-It is an exciting day for Little Lobo. Today, he is going to the market with his dog, Bernabé. The desert town is vibrant with commerce, street vendors, and an array of animal inhabitants. For Little Lobo there is no stopping; he absolutely enjoys greeting acquaintances, delighting in street performances, and fulfilling his job of delivering supplies at the market. Gonzalez has created a simple narrative that includes Spanish vocabulary, which is playfully positioned surrounding the many streets, food stores, and buildings, encouraging readers to say the Spanish words as they turn the pages. The cartoon images set a festive tone, inspired by El Mercado Cuauhtémoc in Juárez, Mexico, with a soft- toned autumnal palette. The book contains a glossary with the vocabulary words and their respective pronouns. VERDICT This picture book entertains and informs readers through fresh and engaging art, advancing Spanish vocabulary and cultural references. A winner.-Kathia Ibacache, Simi Valley Public Library, CA © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Waking up when the rooster crows is not hard to do if the day ahead includes a trip to the mercado. Rooster Kooky Dookys cries (Vamos!) wake up Little Lobo and his dog Bernab. They eat breakfast (huevos rancheros con tortillas de maz) and get ready to deliver goods to their friends in the local marketplace. As they go about their errands, Little Lobo and Bernab cross paths with a lively array of neighbors starting their workdays. Side by side the two travel, immersed in the sights, sounds, and smells of the towns streets and its plaza bursting with colors and activity. A few clues along the way hint at the surprise they will find when they complete their deliveries. The comics-style illustrations of anthropomorphic creatures, objects, and places are full of detail and very enjoyable to explore. The colors are largely muted so they do not compete with the many items on the riotously bustling and crowded pages; a double-page sepia spread partway through identifies Mexico Citys historic Mercado de Cuauhtmoc as the location. Since most objects are labeled in Spanish, like a visual dictionary, and cultural references (a cinema called Buuel, Cantinflas and Frida Kahlo puppets, Chapuln Colorado dolls) are interspersed throughout the book, this simple morning walk turns into a scavenger hunt of Spanish words and Mexican cultural elements. A glossary is appended. alicia k. long March/April 2019 p 66(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Little Lobo and his dog, Bernab, journey through a Mexican mercado delivering diverse goods to a variety of booths.With the aid of red words splattered throughout the spreads as labels, Ral the Third gives an introduction to Spanish vocabulary as Little Lobo, an anthropomorphic wolf, leaves his house, fills his cart with objects from his warehouse, and delivers them to the market's vendors. The journey also serves as a crash course in Mexican culture, as the images are packed with intertextual details such as food, traditional games, and characters, including Cantinflas, Frida Khalo, and Juan Gabriel. Readers acquainted with Ral the Third's characters from his Lowriders series with author Cathy Camper will appreciate cameos from familiar characters. As he makes his rounds, Little Lobo also collects different artifacts that people offer in exchange for his deliveries of shoe polish, clothespins, wood, tissue paper, paintbrushes, and a pair of golden laces. Although Ral the Third departs from the ball-pen illustrations that he is known for, his depiction of creatures and critters peppering the borderland where his stories are set remains in his trademark style. The softer hues in the illustrations (chosen by colorist Bay) keep the busy compositions friendly, and the halftone patterns filling the illustrations create foregrounds and backgrounds reminiscent of Roy Lichtenstein's pointillism.A culturally intricate slice of a lupine courier's life. (glossary) (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
