Illustrated by John Picacio 4 stars While her family prepares for Dia de Muertos, Cala does not feel like celebrating. She misses her grandfather and can’t stop thinking of him. At the cemetery, Cala is separated from her family and encounters some mysterious horsemen that give her some valuable insight. A fascinating representation of the…
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Illustrated by Abraham Matias 4 stars A stunning story of a woman’s journey through the nine levels of Mictlān with the guidance of her Xoloitzcuintle, Popo. Wonderfully written. Nana’s journey includes her own version of the nine levels of Mictlān, including a river, a path of obsidian, snow, and strong winds. Her trials are gentler…
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by Estela Juarez with Lissette Norman Illustrated by Teresa Martínez 5 stars A heartfelt story with a powerful message of hope, resilience, and using your voice to demand change. Estela lives happily with her family… until the government tells her mother she must return to the country she was born in. As part of coping…
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Illustrated by Addy Rivera Sonda 3 stars A cute story. Beto wants to have a tea party, but his sister Cora longs for a pirate adventure. To get her to attend his party, Beto makes Cora a treasure map. But he soon learns there is more to a map than a start and a finish…
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by Cynthia Levinson Illustrated by Mirelle Ortega 4 stars A powerful fictionalized account that tells the story of Plyler v. Doe, which mandated free public school education for all US residents regardless of immigration status. This nonfiction picture book follows Alfredo Lopez who loves school where he can learn and see his friends. But one…
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Illustrated by Kat Fajardo 5 stars Another wonderful volume in The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class series. The third book follows Poppy Song, who loves baking and spending time with her grandmother. Poppy can’t wait for her grandmother, Po Po, to be the Valued Visitor in Mrs. Z’s class. But when Po Po starts acting…
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3 stars A cute comic-style picture book about a unicorn that longs to be a special agent. The artwork was really cute. I loved the color palette. The story itself was fine. Unicorn is a real jerk for most of the book, but kind of learns a lesson at the end. There is some nice…
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Illustrated by Kat Fajardo 4 stars After his mom gives a presentation to his class about starting your own business, Rohan is inspired to create a new pet-sitting business to raise funds for the school garden. The only problem? He doesn’t have much experience with pets and if he’s honest… they make him a little…
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Illustrated by Natalia Rojas Castro 4 stars A humorous picture book that explores the unique names we give certain dishes. Magaly loves her abuela’s cooking, but when she learns they’ll be eatin ropa vieja for dinner, she starts hiding her “old clothes” so they don’t end up in the pot. Delightful humor. Bright, warm illustrations….
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Illustrated by Omar Lozano 2 stars In this follow-up to the original Chicken Little story, Chicken Little has become a serious scientist helping to establish a colony on the moon. But when her calculations show the oxygen levels are decreasing, she must prove to her shipmates that she isn’t mistaken this time. An odd little…
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