Big Bushy Mustache
Kindergarten-Grade 2-For his class's Cinco de Mayo play, Ricky, about six years old, turns down swords, pistols, a cape, a sarape, a sombrero, and other accoutrements for a fake mustache so he can play the role of a victorious Mexican soldier. With the bigote, the boy feels that he looks just like his father. Disobeying his teacher, Ricky sneaks the prop out of school and loses it on the way home. After spending an anxious evening trying to make another one, he prepares to face the music. It is then that his father delivers a clever solution. Soto sprinkles a few Spanish words into the English text. While buenos dias and gracias aren't too tough and even the meaning of bigote can be inferred, other terms, such as the informal contraction mi'jo, may be a bit of a challenge for those unfamiliar with the language. Cepeda's brightly colored, expressive acrylics will appeal to children, who will laugh at the teacher sporting pointy-rimmed eyeglasses, as well as at the improbable, oh-so-happy ending.John Sigwald, Unger Memorial Library, Plainview, TXCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.