Emma Otheguy

Author Emma Otheguy and illustrator Beatrice Vidal tell the story of Cuban author, philosopher and national hero José Martí in this lovely bilingual picture book biography. The narrative, which is in free verse, and which includes excerpts from Martí's own poetry, from his Versos sencillos (Simple Verses), describes how Martí loved his country but hated the injustices which plagued it, from the practice of slavery to its status as a colony of Spain. Exiled from the country at seventeen show more for his support of Cuba's Ten Years War—its first effort to throw off Spanish rule—he eventually settled in New York, where he continued to write and to campaign for Cuban independence. He loved the beauty of his adoptive home, especially that of the Catskill Mountains, but his heart remained in Cuba, to which he eventually returned, dying in the Battle of Two Rivers, in the early days of the Cuban War of Independence. The book closes with an afterword, author's note, excerpts from Versos sencillos, acknowledgements and a selected bibliography...

Martí's Song for Freedom / Martí y sus versos por la libertad is the first book I have read from Emma Otheguy, but the eighth I have read from illustrator Beatriz Vidal. As it happens, Vidal is the reason I decided to track it down, as I always enjoy her artwork. I am very glad that I did, as I appreciated the story and writing as much as the illustrations, and feel that I learned some interesting things. I was familiar with the figure of José Martí before, but didn't know very much about him, beyond the fact that he was a poet, and a luminary of the Cuban independence movement. The fact that he had a fondness for the Catskills, a beautiful region where I myself enjoyed hiking in years past, was new to me. I also had no idea that he created a magazine for children, La edad de oro ("The Golden Age"), which was very influential and which I now hope to track down and read myself. I found the quotations used here from Versos sencillos quite striking, and hope to track that title down as well. As expected, the gouache illustrations were lovely, making use of a gorgeous color palette—the autumn scene in which Martí is hiking in the Castkills is particularly beautiful!—and wonderfully stylized figures. There were scenes that reminded me of the work of Claire A. Nivola, of whom I haven't thought in some time. In any case, this is one I would recommend to picture book audiences who enjoy biography or who are looking for stories about Cuba, Cuban independence, the role of writers and thinkers in social movements, or about José Martí specifically. show less

Reina is excited when her teacher announces a “wax museum” in which the students will dress up like famous people from history. Reina immediately wants to be a “strong person” like Frida Kahlo, but gets upset when her best friend also wants to dress up as Frida. What can Reina do now?

This is a very cute story about a common occurrence for many young children – a school project that requires dressing up as and providing biographical information about a historical figure. In this show more case, there can be no duplicate entries, which causes Reina’s problem of not being able to share her subject of choice with her best friend. She works with her friend, teacher, and abuela to come up with a solution, showing both good friendship and problem-solving skills.

All of the children mentioned in the book choose famous Latinx folks for their subjects, and my own small quibble with the book is that I wish the backmatter described their contributions in more than a one-phrase biography.

The illustrations are brightly colorful and thus very appealing. show less

The fantastical aunt book I needed (see my previous review for Oh, No, the Aunts Are Here by Rex). Martina's loud tiás give her a headache, and seeking some quiet, falls into the simmering pot of guava, which transports her to the warm island home she had been longing for. The author's note, recalling the traditional story about "La cucaracha Martina" and about her personal experience as a "quiet" person in a stereotypical "loud" Latin family, brings extra depth to the story, but is not show more crucial for enjoying it. Palacios' illustrations enchant as always. show less

Waking up on a cold winter morning to fresh snow makes little Gabo wish for nothing more than a sled…and maybe a new friend.

Gabo walks into the kitchen to the familiar sounds of the old steam radiator whistling and a can in a saucepan on the stove, bouncing as the water boils, when he sees children from his new school sledding outside. Gabo very much wants to join them, but his hat is too small, his socks are cotton (not wool), and his shoes are not waterproof. And he doesn’t have a show more sled. Gabo’s mom helps out, and with his dad’s hat, four pairs of socks, and plastic bags over his sneakers, he is ready to go outside. Gabo comes across different neighbors and family members in his community, and eventually he makes a new friend who is good at thinking outside the box and teaches him that a cafeteria tray can be a sled with a little imagination. This sweet story centers a Latinx family and touches on issues of poverty. Spanish words and phrases are scattered throughout, accessible to non–Spanish speakers through context, though some touches (such as the dulce de leche Gabo enjoys with his new friend at the end of the day) are left unexplained for readers familiar with the culture to savor. The illustrations are bright and cheerful, making everything stand out nicely against the snowy day. Big expressions on Gabo’s face will be easy for young kids to identify and relate to what he is feeling across his journey. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 48.5% of actual size.)

A charming winter story about friendship and making do with love. (Picture book. 4-8)

-Kirkus Review show less