Rudy Gutierrez

A young boy narrates this gentle tale of his activities with his Papá. Although they are different in some ways - the boy is bilingual, while his father only speaks Spanish; the boy loves pancakes and his father eggs; the boy likes to splash in puddles and his father does not - they share the most important thing of all: love...

Arthur Dorros' text in Papá and Me is less of a story than it is a slice of life depiction of a boy and his father. That said, it is full of a sense of warmth and show more family love. The accompanying artwork by Rudy Gutierrez, although not really to my taste, is colorful and full of energy, capturing the boy's exuberance and his father's careful guardianship. Gutierrez was awarded a Pura Belpré Honor for his illustrations. Recommended to anyone looking for engaging father-son picture-books, as well as readers interested in children's stories featuring Latino and/or Spanish-speaking families. show less

As a child, a simple day with a parent can be magical and full of love. With the help of incredibly bright and happy illustrations, the story of this father and son became just that: magical and full of love. While flipping pancakes, splashing in puddles, and races seem like a basic day, the father's eyes are opened to the spellbinding world around him as he spends the day with his son. The use of color is astounding and while paired with the lines of the and shape, the world truly becomes show more an enchanting place. show less

A bilingual young girl and her Spanish-speaking mother spend the day together in this sweet, warmhearted picture-book from author Arthur Dorros and illustrator Rudy Gutierrez. As they go about their various activities, the young girl demonstrates a desire to do things on her own, but also a need to stay connected to her mother, and do things with her. While the two buy supplies to redecorate a room, the girl also buys something she can use to create a special gift for this special woman...

A show more companion to this author/illustrator team's Papá and Me, Mamá and Me has the same sense of family love in the gentle narrative, and the same colorful, exuberant illustrations. I liked that the activities here built toward something - the giving of a gift for Mother's Day - but that they also feel natural and somehow everyday. One gets the feeling that this mother and daughter spend lots of time together. Recommended to anyone looking for engaging picture-books about the mother-daughter bond, or featuring depictions of Latino families. show less

This lovely tribute to mothers, a perfect read aloud for Mother's Day, says much about bonding, about kids' wanting independence, and about giving -- the pleasure for both mother and child the pleasure of giving a hand-made gift. Dorros' book offers many possibilities for classroom sharing:
For ESL students, they'll love seeing the familiar.
For non-ESL students, they'll understand context clues as Dorros has embedded the meaning of the Spanish words and phrases he uses.
Magnicent expressive show more art embraces art movement of expressionism. show less