The upside down boy = El niño de cabeza

The Upside Down Boy perfectly describes how anyone feels when they are introduced to something new without having any background information on it before. We all feel overwhelmed and like our entire world has been flipped upside down. When this little boy moves to a new big city after little in a small town, this is exactly how he feels. I related to this book when I first started college. I felt so overwhelmed before I caught on and felt like I was spinning and going crazy trying to figure everything out.

I liked this book a lot. The first reason I liked this book is because of its bilingual nature. On each two-page spread, in addition to text that was written in English, there was also the same text written in Spanish. I liked this because I was able to learn Spanish words I wanted to know by looking at the sentences in English, comparing them to the Spanish sentences and using my prior knowledge on Spanish to decipher what the English word is in Spanish. This also made the book relatable to an audience that can only read, or enjoy reading, in Spanish instead of English. Another reason I liked this book is for its multidisciplinary plot. Throughout the book, the main character interacted with disciplines like music, sports, and language show more arts. For example, the main character Juan Felipe played a harmonica, played ball on a baseball field and learned English through interactions in his classrooms. This made the book appeal to me through the music aspect of the book, but I can see how including multiple disciplinary elements can help the book appeal to a wider audience as well, such as those who enjoy sports like baseball. The main idea of this book is to highlight how a child feels when they come into an environment where they do not know the language being spoken around them and the challenges and experiences they have in their journey to acquire the new language. show less

This bilingual book describes what happens when Juanito’s migrant family moves from a rural area to the city of San Diego so he can go to school. He doesn’t speak English and is afraid. His tongue feels like a rock. He doesn’t understand what the other kids are doing, and always feels like he does everything upside down. But his understanding teacher and loving parents guide him, and encourage him to make the most of his artistic abilities; he is very good at writing and singing. Before long, he is a class leader. The bright and colorful whimsical primitive-style acrylics by Elizabeth Gomez are wonderful.

Reading level: Ages 6 and up

It is a story of Juan Felipe Herrera memoir of a year where his family had to settle down so he was able to go to school for the first time. He feels out of place as if he is doing everything backwards. So constantly misses being in the fields free feeling the fresh air. This a good book to read to students that are new to the class or are moving from a new country, that a successful author also have gone through the same process of moving to a new place is different and difficult.

This book is a very well written book with great illustrations. This book can be useful when you have a new student or when you have a classroom who have students learning both English and Spanish. It is in both languages and the boy in the story has such a positive attitude. It can motivate to do the impossible and with a great attitude.
Great message in the book.

Elizabeth Gomez, gorgeous illustrator with vibrant colors attracts the reader to the stories connecting children with characters who are like them. Gomez, is interested in concepts of environmental hierarchy both in the wild and in our human reality as well as illustrating for "seemingly innocent stories where there is always a hint of stress". The Jane Addams Children's Book Awards "are given annually to the children's books published the preceding year that effectively promote the cause of peace, social justice, world community, and the equality of the sexes and all races..." how beautiful is that! This is the diversity we need in literature. It core reason for choosing books is based on peace and equality. The Coretta Scott King Book show more Awards were books I discovered when working in "the hood" of San Francisco. Amazing books that my students were able to connect with and I was able to learn about their culture and community. Eye opening and the opportunity for me as a "white girl" to connect with my students. show less

This book was very enjoyable. I think it can teach children a variety of lessons especially the fact that everyone is different and comes from different families with different backgrounds.