Source: MSL Book Review

Cantora Mercedes Sosa, La Voz de Latinoamerica

Cantora Mercedes Sosa, La Voz de LatinoamericaCantora (Spanish Edition): Mercedes Sosa, la voz de Latinoamérica by Melisa Fernández Nitsche
ISBN: 0593704991
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

“Cantora Mercedes Sosa, La Voz de Latinoamerica” by Melisa Fernandez Nitsche is a picture book biography about Argentiniean singer and activist Mercedes Sosa. We start with Mercedes’ childhood in Argentina, growing up among the sounds of the cicadas and the smell of oranges. She enters a radio competition under a false name and wins handily. From there her singing career took off. She sang songs about poverty and injustice and was called the voice for those who have no voice. The government dictatorship arrested her and she then fled to Europe and spent three years in exile before returning to the country she loved to continue singing.

The illustrations are stylized and colorful. The back of the book contains a note from the author, a timeline, playlist, and selected sources, so there is a lot of supplemental information given in case readers want to learn even more about Mercedes Sosa. Recommended for ages 6 to 8, this book is a suggested purchase for all youth biography sections. I read the Spanish edition of this book.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.

four-stars

Pepita y Bebita

Pepita y Bebita (Pepita Meets Bebita Spanish Edition) by Gabriel Frye-Behar, Maribel Lechuga, Ruth Behar
ISBN: 0593705033
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

“Pepita y Bebita” is the Spanish edition of “Pepita meets Bebita” by Ruth Behar and Gabriel Frye-Behar, illustrated by Maribel Lechuga, translated by Yanitzia Canetti. Pepita is a little dog and is the baby of the house, but then things start to change. Papi is building all kinds of things. Abuelo and Abuela bring a blanket instead of treats or toys for Pepita. Inevitably, a baby arrives. Pepita has a very hard time getting used to Bebita and no longer being the center of attention, but things turn all right in the end. Colorful and funny images uplift the emotional story about Pepita learning about Bebita and eventually becoming friends. Written for ages 4 to 8, a recommended purchase (either in English or Spanish) for your picture book collection.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.

four-stars

Vlad the Fabulous Vampire

Vlad, the Fabulous Vampire (The World of Gustavo) by Flavia Z. Drago
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars
“Vlad the Fabulous Vampire” is written and illustrated by Flavia Z. Drago. Vlad is a vampire who loves fashion, but has a terrible secret… His cheeks are rosy pink! Too lifelike! Too bright! What would his friends say if they knew?!? So he tries designing different fashion looks to hide his cheeks. The book ends with the theme that it is better to love what makes us unique rather than force ourselves to fit in. I like that the book admits that even when being yourself, you may still feel insecure at times, but your real friends will still love you.

I love the bright crayon-like illustrations. Characters are cartoony and fun and each image has a lot of details to delve into. Written for kids 4 to 8, this book is a recommended purchase for picture book collections, especially where monsters like vampires and ghosts are popular. I read both the English and Spanish editions of this book.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.

four-stars

Esperanza Caramelo the Star of Nochebuena

Esperanza Caramelo the Star of NochebuenaEsperanza Caramelo, the Star of Nochebuena by Elisa Chavarri, Karla Valenti
ISBN: 0593488679
Genres: Holiday
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars
“Esperanza Caramelo the Star of Nochebuena” is written by Karla Arenas Valenti and illustrated by Elisa Chavarri. Esperanza Caramelo is a spun-sugar ornament who awakens on Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) and begins dancing around the Pasteleria, bringing all the other ornaments to life. All of the ornaments are having a grand time when a cat knocks everything onto the floor! What will they do now?

Inspired by the author’s abuela who made elaborate cakes for Nochebuena, the story is fun and full of movement. The illustrations are bright and dynamic, with the ornaments singing and spinning around the bakery. Written for kids age 3 to 6. I read both the English and Spanish editions of this book. A recommended purchase for libraries with Latinx, Hispanic, and Filipinx patrons, or for large holiday collections.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.

three-stars

Monsters Play Peekaboo

Monsters Play PeekabooLos monstruos juegan . . . ¡Cucú! by Flavia Z. Drago
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536233315
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Board Book
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars
“Monsters Play Peekaboo” by Flavia Z. Drago is a board book featuring several monsters playing peekaboo with the reader behind flaps. Vampires, ghosts, and skeletons all make different noises under their costumes and the reader lifts the flap to find out who they are. I read the Spanish version and it’s fun to read the different sounds the monsters make: “Auuuu!” for a wolf, or “clic-clac” for a skeleton’s bones. The illustrations are bright and colorful. Babies and toddlers will have lots of fun making noise with the monsters and lifting the flaps!

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.

four-stars

Give What You Can

Give What You CanAll Are Welcome: Give What You Can (Step into Reading) by Alexandra Penfold, Suzanne Kaufman
Series: All Are Welcome
Published by Random House on 09/05/2023
ISBN: 0593430077
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Early Reader
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars
 

Give What You Can, part of the All Are Welcome series, is an early reader book with a great message for children.  The kids in the story work together to make their community better.  The bright, colorful illustrations are full of diverse characters with different ethnicities, religions and physical abilities.  This book is designed for children who recognize sight words and have basic decoding skills.  Some of the text repeats, which will also help the readers build their fluency skills.  This book is very inclusive and would be a great addition to an early reader collection.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

four-stars

Silver Linings

Silver LiningsSilver Linings by Fiona Woodcock
Published by Greenwillow Books on February 28, 2023
ISBN: 0062995901
Pages: 32
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars
Pip and Parker are great friends who spend a lot of time together. Sometimes they spend time in companionable silence. Sometimes something goes wrong for one of them and they know what to do, which is to offer sympathy, a different perspective, a new activity, or a hug. The message in this picture book will resonate with kids who know that things can go wrong and that it’s nice to have an understanding friend by your side when they do. With a palette of teals and reds, the gentle artwork, created with hand-cut rubber stamps, stencils, acrylic paint, colored pencils, and oil pastels, highlights some of the small catastrophes and the silver linings that can come from the negative. Pip presents white and Parker is Black. A lovely story to use as a read aloud PreK-grade 2 classroom.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Falmouth Middle School

three-stars

This Is Not a Unicorn

This Is Not a UnicornThis is NOT a Unicorn! by Barry Timms, Ged Adamson
Published by Nosy Crow on Jun 6, 2023
Pages: 32
Genres: Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars
This large picture book will grab readers from the start with its bright cover and promise of silliness. Using a lively authorial voice, Timms invites the reader to observe all of the ways that the creature in the book, who might *look* like a unicorn, is not. Ridiculous, but clever, rhymes are illustrated to perfection by Ged Adamson as the “not” unicorn demonstrates its other talents. Like the child in the book, listeners will be awed, entertained, and delighted by the surprising things the animal IS. Publisher Nosy Crow also offers a QR code on the back cover that can be scanned by a smartphone and provides a free audio reading of the book. Highly recommend for public library and pre-K and elementary school programs.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Falmouth Middle School

five-stars

Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans

Adia Kelbara and the Circle of ShamansAdia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans (Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans, 1) by Isi Hendrix
Published by Balzer + Bray on 09/23
ISBN: 0063266334
Genres: Cultural / African American, Fantasy
Format: Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars
Twelve-year-old orphan Adia leads a lonely life in the Swamplands, despised by the aunt and uncle who raised her because they believe she is a demon. Adia applies for an apprenticeship for her Year of Practicality far from home, in the kitchens of the realm’s magic school, hoping someone there will help remove her curse. But when she arrives, she realizes that none of the students have real magic; they are just the wealthy offspring of the ruling class. Worse still, the emperor himself is possessed by the worst demon of them all – a demon who it was said had been vanquished centuries before but is now on the brink of regaining enough strength to once again rule. Slowly Adia begins to realize it is up to her to save the realm, along with the friends she has met along the way: a flippant goddess, a girl warrior lost to time, and a sometimes-suspicious boy warrior in training.

Adia is a fun adventure that balances tension, humor, magic and excitement alongside a subtle dose of social commentary. There is a strong theme of empowerment and liberation, as Adia takes her fate into her own hands despite the odds, and self-belief provides the final ingredient in her making positive change in her world.

This is the first book in a Afrofantasy trilogy, and will be easy to recommend to middle grade readers who have enjoyed other fantasy series’.

Reviewed by: Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta

five-stars

Alma Head to Toe = Alma de pies a cabeza

Alma Head to Toe = Alma de pies a cabezaAlma, Head to Toe/Alma, de pies a cabeza (Alma's Words/Las palabras de Alma) by Juana Martinez-Neal
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on 9/5/23
ISBN: 9781536228878
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Board Book
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars
Alma Head to Toe=  Alma de pies a cabeza is a bilingual board book based on the picture book character from Alma and How She Got Her Name.   This book introduces children to basic body part vocabulary in English and Spanish. It starts off with a whole body diagram of Alma and the following pages are illustrations of close ups of Alma using specific body parts.  The text is easy to follow as the English in black text and the Spanish in light red.  The illustrations are large and simple and match the text perfectly.  This board book would be a great addition to any public library.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

five-stars