Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Super Star Children's Book Reviews: My Papi Has A Motorcycle

Welcome to the monthly children’s book review feature with a focus on diverse books here at Bird Meets Worm! My team of reviewers—Joan Charles, Laurie Young, Sarah Orgill—and I are so excited to be championing books celebrating everything from gender diversity, people of color, the LGBTQ community to ethnic, cultural and religious minorities, people with disabilities and developmental challenges to controversial topics, unique family situations and anything and everything I did not include. It is to say we take a rightfully broad view of diversity! We aim to shine a light on books that bring both familiar experiences to those who do not often see themselves represented in books and new experiences to those looking to expand their worldview. Here at Bird Meets Worm we believe in the power of story to build empathy and thus a better world for you and me and everyone. Look for a new review on the second Wednesday of every month.





MY PAPI HAS A MOTORCYCLE
Written By Isabel Quintero • Illustrated by Zeke Peña
Picture Book (ages 4-8) • 32 pages
Published by Penguin Random House • 2019
ISBN 978-0-525-55341-0


When Daisy’s papi gets home from work, their most favorite thing to do together is zoom around their neighborhood on Papi’s motorcycle. They cruise by favorite shops, past Abuelito and Abuelita’s house and over to the construction site where Papi is working, all while taking in the joyously familiar sights, sounds and people of their city.

When Daisy and Papi experience an unfamiliar sight—a beloved shave ice shop has closed—there is a momentary sense of unease. Quintero quietly juxtaposes this moment next to Papi building new homes nearby. And there is a sense of moving forward that is caught up in the energy of Peña’s fluid line work that is at once playful and peaceful.

My Papi Has A Motorcycle is a celebration of the bond between a daughter and her daddy, all wrapped up in a love letter to the Southern California city of Corona, where author Isabel Quintero grew up. My Papi Has A Motorcycle revels in a strong sense of place that has been infused into every detail from citrus and cacti to distinctive stucco buildings to the dusky desert palette rich with pinks, oranges and yellows.

My Papi Has A Motorcycle is a delightful read—sweet, exhilarating and beautiful!

Buy this book:

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Reviewed by: Jane Smith