Fiesta Babies
PreS—Short lines of bouncy, rhyming text describe how several adorable, chubby babies and toddlers participate in their local Hispanic celebration. For instance, "Fiesta Babies march on parade/wearing coronas Mamá has made." These lines of text stand alone on a page, embellished with the detail of a gaily decorated lamppost that echoes the street scene opposite. The length and rhythm of the text make this book an excellent choice for toddler and preschool storytimes. Córdova once again demonstrates how her award-winning style brilliantly brings an author's words to life. Her bold acrylic colors and brisk brushstrokes capture the fiesta's energy and good cheer. The images of sombreros, serapes, andpapel picadoare firmly rooted in Mexican culture, and the artist shows black, brown, and white babies celebrating this fiesta together. A short glossary explains the Spanish words in a child-friendly context. For example, the definition forbeso(kiss) adds that babies often are taught to blow little kisses, orbesitos. This is a sweet, simple book, and its simplicity contributes to its excellence as well as its charm.—Mary Landrum, Lexington Public Library, KYCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.