By René Saldana, Jr.
Illustrations by Carolyn Dee Flores
Publisher: Piñata Books
In this book the author effectively uses a birthday party to introduce numbers to a young audience. As the story progresses the author adds an element of surprise; boxes of gifts for the guests – a small page turner for a young audience.
The author incorporates a Latino themed birthday party such as piñatas, la lucha libre masks, and other items to get young readers into a party mood and tell his story. This approach is two-fold in that the reader begins to learn a number concept, and at the same time is also being introduced to the Latino culture.
If the reader is Latino, that child begins to identify with the characters, which is instrumental in getting a young reader to become interested in reading and learning. For those that are not Latino, the book provides a great insight into another culture. Currently, main stream children’s books provide characters that do not include children of color or give insight into the various traditions that make up the “Americana” culture of today. Another good reason to pick up this book.
The illustrator uses a lot of color to enhance the pages. The pictures excellently capture the essence of the story in an artistic manner. This would be a great book to have in a school setting as it is bilingual and makes it entertaining for all young readers. For those that already speak Spanish this is an added plus as they can begin to identify with the words on the page. For those that don’t speak Spanish, what a wonderful way to get exposure to a new language.
Source: Book was provided by publisher for review. It was reviewed by Corina Martinez Chaudhry.
