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WORK TITLE: The Days after Christmas
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PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.elisachavarri.com/
CITY: Marquette
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COUNTRY:
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LAST VOLUME: SATA 240
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born December 31, in Lima, Peru; immigrated to United States; married; husband’s name Matt; children: two.
EDUCATION:Savannah College of Art and Design, B.A. (classical animation; with honors).
ADDRESS
CAREER
Illustrator and animator. Exhibitions: Work exhibited at Art in the Loft, Alpena, MI; Red Gallery, Savannah, GA; Gallery 1600, Atlanta, GA; Gallery 231, Marquette, MI; Biddle Gallery, Wyandotte, MI; j3fm Gallery, Hannover, Germany; Bodhi Gallery, London, England; Canteen Gallery, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; and in Argentina.
AWARDS:Bank Street Best Children’s Picture Book of the Year in Spanish, Bank Street Major Libro Infantile, Pura Belpre Illustrator Honor Book, all 2021, all for Sharuko.
WRITINGS
Contributor to periodicals, including American Girl, Guide, Humpty Dumpty, Jack & Jill, Michigan History, Michigan History for Kids, Shine Brightly, Sparkle, Turtle, and USA Weekend.
SIDELIGHTS
Born in Peru and now based in the midwestern United States, Elisa Chavarri shares her cheerful and colorful illustrations with young children in the pages of popular children’s magazines as well as in books. An animator as well as illustrator, Chavarri has created story boards and designed characters for films and she has exhibited her artwork at galleries both close to home and internationally. “I like to create things that are beautiful, have an element of fun, and hopefully, bring a smile to others,” Chavarri noted on her home page. “My works are a mixture of my experiences, what I find inspiring, and what I would like to see. They are constantly evolving.”
The picture books that feature Chavarri’s artwork include Santa Goes Green, a holiday story by Anne Margaret Lewis, a as well as Lewis’s whimsical Fly Blanky Fly. Another illustration project, Esmé Raji Codell’s humorous Fairly Fairy Tales, finds a busy mom putting a modern-day spin on tried-and-true bedtime tales such as “The Three Little Pigs,” “Cinderella,” and “Red Riding Hood” in her hurry to get her young son off to bed. Reviewing Fairly Fairy Tales, a Publishers Weekly critic wrote that “Chavarri renders the traditional fairy tale elements in tidy, pretty spot illustrations,” and Karen Cruze wrote in Booklist that her artwork is “packed with details delighted readers will pore over.” “Busy illustrations, humorously fractured tales and a [text] … that encourages audience participation ensure that this will see repeat readings,” predicted a Kirkus Reviews writer in reviewing Fairly Fairy Tales.
(open new)Other fairy tale-inspired books illustrated by Chavarri include Codell’s Maybe Mother Goose and Vivian Alvarez’s Federico and the Wolf. She has also illustrated nonfiction works about real figures, including fashion designer Oscar de la Renta and pop star Taylor Swift.
In 2023, Chavarri collaborated with author Ana Siquiera on the picture book, Abuela’s Super Capa. The book stars a little boy named Luis, who spends his Saturdays with his Abuela. Luis loves pretending to be a superhero, and Abuela plays along, pretending to be his sidekick. Together, they use their superpowers to overcome various dangers, including pets who threaten to eat their baked goods and an intruding little sister. One Saturday, Luis learns that he cannot play with his Abuela because she is in the hospital. Luis gives her super-hugs and -kisses, hoping to help her recover quickly. When Abuela returns home, she is not able to participate in Luis’s superhero play, but his sister, Isabel, gratefully takes on the role of sidekick. In an interview with Shelley M. Diaz, contributor to the School Library Journal website, Chavarri discussed the volume, stating: “It tugs at the heartstrings. But it’s not a devastating book. … It’s a beautiful story with an uplifting, heartwarming ending.” A Kirkus Reviews critic offered a favorable assessment of the book, commenting: “Chavarri’s kaleidoscopic artwork dazzles thanks to a focus on comiclike visual flourishes and expressive characters.” (close new)
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, February 1, 2011, Karen Cruze, review of Fairly Fairy Tales, p. 81; March 1, 2020, Vivian Alvarez, review of Federico and the Wolf, p. 61; June 1, 2024, Miriam Aronin, review of Leaders Like Us, p. 68.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, February, 2011, Hope Morrison, review of Fairly Fairy Tales, p. 273.
Kirkus Reviews, December 1, 2010, review of Fairly Fairy Tales; April 1, 2016, review of Maybe Mother Goose;March 15, 2020, review of Bake a Rainbow Cake!;November 15, 2022, review of Abel’s Super Capa;June 1, 2024, review of The Color of Love; November 5, 2024, review of Taylor Swift; November 15, 2024, review of Alpacas Here, Alpacas There.
Publishers Weekly, review of Fairly Fairy Tales, p. 55.
School Library Journal, February, 2011, C.J. Connor, review of Fairly Fairy Tales, p. 76; October, 2016, Katie Darrin, review of Rainbow Weaver, p. 80; January, 2023, Selenia Paz, review of A Crown for Corina, p. 61; September, 2023, Stephanie Creamer, review of Esperanza Caramelo, the Star of Nochebuena, p . 85.
ONLINE
Elisa Chavarri website, https://www.elisachavarri.com (March 8, 2025).
Elisa Chavarri blog, http://echavarri.xanga.com (March 1, 2012).
Painted Words website, https://www.painted-words.com/ (March 8, 2025), author profile.
School Library Journal Online, https://www.slj.com/ (July 19, 2023), Shelley M. Diaz, author interview.
lisa Chavarri is an award winning, NYT Bestselling illustrator who strives to create work that inspires happiness, promotes inclusiveness and curiosity, and helps people of all different backgrounds feel special.
She has illustrated numerous books for children including Pura Belpre Honor book Sharuko, El Arqueologo Peruano/Peruvian Archeologist Julio C. Tello and bestselling book, Taylor Swift: A little Golden book Biography
Elisa hails from Lima, Peru and resides in Alpena, Michigan with her husband and two young children.
She graduated with honors from The Savannah College of Art and Design, where she majored in Classical Animation and minored in Comics.
Awards & honors
2023 Amazon Best of 2023 – I’ll Hold Your Hand
2023 School Library Journal Starred Review – A Crown for Corina
2023 School Library Journal Starred Review – Abuela’s Super Capa
2022 Star of the North Award MYRA Nominee, Federico and the Wolf
2021 Tejas Star Reading List Selection, Sharuko
Pura Belpre Illustrator Honor Book 2021, Sharuko
Bank Street Mejor Libro Infantil 2021, Sharuko
Bank Street Best Children’s Picture Books of the Year in Spanish 2021 List, Sharuko
Junior Library Guild Selection, Rainbow Weaver
CCBC Choice, Rainbow Weaver
Commended Title, Américas Book Award, Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs, Rainbow Weaver
CLIENTs Include
Beach Lane Books
Viking
Simon & Schuster
American Girl
HarperCollins
Scholastic Inc.
Lee & Low Books
Astra
Clarion Books
Penguin Random House
Farrar Straus Giroux
Crocodile Creek
Little Brown
National Geographic Learning
Abrams
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Sesame Street
Hallmark
Highlights
Joffrey Ballet
Miami City Ballet
GEMS Girl's Clubs
Serabeena
The Child's World
World Vision
Everything Imagination
U.S. Kids
Sadlier
Spin Master
Guide Magazine
eLECTRICeYE tv
Mackinac Island Press
Michigan History Magazine
Michigan History for Kids
United Methodist Publishing House
USA WEEKEND
Collaborative Summer Library Program
PUblished works
Taylor Swift A Little Golden Book Biography Ultimate Fan Edition (Random House 2024)
The Days After Christmas (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Fall 2024)
I Am Salsa (HarperCollins/Quill Tree, Fall 2024)
The Color of Love (Viking, Spring 2024)
Esperanza Caramelo (Knopf, Fall 2023)
On the Fourth of July (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Spring 2023)
Taylor Swift A Little Golden Book Biography (Random House 2023)
A Crown for Corina (Little Brown, Spring 2023)
Abuela’s Super Capa (HarperCollins, Winter 2023)
Rita Finds Home (Joffrey Ballet, Summer 2022)
I’ll Hold Your Hand (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2022)
My Little Golden Book About Frida Kahlo (Random House 2021)
Sharuko (Lee & Low Books, 2020)
Federico and the Wolf (Clarion, Spring 2020)
A Smart Girl’s Guide: Crushes (American Girl, 2020)
Bake a Rainbow Cake! (Abrams, 2020)
The Magical Land of Birthdays (Abrams, Oct. 2019)
The Prince of Twindleland (Dec. 2017)
Rainbow Weaver (Lee & Low Books, Fall 2016)
Maybe Mother Goose (Aladdin, 2016)
A Smart Girl's Guide: Cooking (American Girl, Spring 2016)
You're the Chef (American Girl, Spring 2016)
Puzzle Palooza (American Girl, 2014)
Elwood Doberman, Jr. (WestBow Press 2014)
A Smart Girl's Guide: Boys (American Girl, 2013)
Fly Blanky Fly (HarperCollins, 2012)
Fairly Fairy Tales (Aladdin, 2011)
Santa Goes Green (Mackinac Island Press, 2008)
Future Works
Alpacas Here, Alpacas There (Beach Lane, Spring 2025)
Lady of The Lines (Astra, Spring 2025)
Elisa Chavarri
Agent: Claire Morance
Elisa Chavarri is an award-winning and New York Times-bestselling illustrator originally from Lima, Peru. She did much of her growing up in Northern Michigan, where her family kept their Peruvian culture and Latin roots alive. After studying Classical Animation and Comics at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Elisa made her way back to Alpena, Michigan, where she now resides with her husband and two kids. Living in rural northern Michigan offers plenty of inspiration for this nature/animal lover, even when the front door is covered in an inch of fish flies. With her work she hopes to inspire a sense of magic, happiness, & wonder in children, while helping more kids feel represented as the protagonists of these stories. She is the illustrator of the New York Times bestseller, Taylor Swift, A Little Golden Book, and the Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Book, Sharuko.
Client List
Simon & Schuster
American Girl
HarperCollins
Clarion Books
Scholastic Inc.
Abrams
Lee & Low Books
Penguin Random House
Farrar Straus Giroux
Joffrey Ballet
National Geographic Learning
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Sesame Street
Hallmark
Highlights
GEMS Girl’s Clubs
Spin Master
Crocodile Creek
Guide Magazine
S. Kids
World Vision
The Child’s World
Sadlier
Serabeena
Awards / Honors
2024 Bank Street Best of the Year- Abuela’s Super Capa
Taylor Swift, A Little Golden Book Biography – A million copies sold!
New York Times #1 Bestseller – Taylor Swift, A Little Golden Book Biography
2024 Chicago Public Library’s Best Books of the Year – Una Corona para Corina
2024 Bank Street College of Education Best Spanish Picture Book List- Abuela’s Super Capa
2023 Amazon Best of 2023 – I’ll Hold Your Hand
2023 School Library Journal Starred Review – A Crown for Corina
2023 School Library Journal Starred Review – Abuela’s Super Capa
2021 Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Book, Sharuko
2022 Star of the North Award MYRA Nominee, Federico and the Wolf
2021 Bank Street College Silver Medal, Best Children’s Picture Books of the Year in Spanish, Sharuko
2021 Tejas Star Reading List Selection, Sharuko
2021 CCBC Choice, Sharuko
2021 ILA’s Notable Books for a Global Society – Sharuko
2020 Chicago Public Library Best Informational Books for Younger Readers – Sharuko
Three Starred Reviews – Sharuko
2021 School Library Journal’s Latinx Luminaries – Sharuko
2021 Sunshine State Young Readers Award List – Federico and the Wolf
2021 Pennsylvania Young Readers’ Choice Award List – Federico and the Wolf
2021 Kansas National Education Association Reading Circle Recommended Title – Federico and the Wolf
2021 Horn Book Magazine’s Summer Reading List – Sharuko
2021 Bank Street College Best Children’s Books – Federico and the Wolf
2020 School Library Journal’s list of Best Non Fiction books – Sharuko
Junior Library Guild Selection, Rainbow Weaver
CCBC Choice, Rainbow Weaver
Commended Title, Américas Book Award, Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs, Rainbow Weaver
QUOTED: "It tugs at the heartstrings. But it’s not a devastating book. ... It’s a beautiful story with an uplifting, heartwarming ending."
Elisa Chavarri: A Versatile, Exuberant Style Characterizes this Creator’s Work | SLJ 2023 Stars
by Shelley M. Diaz
Jul 19, 2023 | Filed in News & Features
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Abuela’s Super Capa
More star illustrator profiles
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Katherine Roy
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Elisa Chavarri’s path to picture book illustration was an organic one. “When I was really little, I lived with my grandparents in Peru. My grandfather would take care of me a lot, and he would set me up with comics and a chalkboard while he tinkered away in the garage,” says Chavarri. He would also tell her imaginative stories as he worked. It’s no wonder she became a book creator.
A story-filled grandparent is the subject of her recent picture book Abuela’s Super Capa (HarperCollins), written by Ana Siqueira. Luis and his grandmother play superheroes every Saturday. But when Abuela becomes ill, she can no longer play, and the boy is at a loss. SLJ’s starred review calls it “beautiful and full of life” and “an excellent choice for gently discussing the illness of a loved one.”
Photo courtesy of HarperCollins
“It tugs at the heartstrings. But it’s not a devastating book,” says Chavarri, explaining why she chose to take on the project when it was offered to her. “It’s a beautiful story with an uplifting, heartwarming ending.”
Chavarri’s family and Latinx heritage are a through line in many of her works. Her mixed-media illustrations often incorporate vintage patterns from clothing handed down from her grandmother. Her books are notable for their vibrant colors and charming characters. Sharuko: Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. Tello (Lee & Low), an SLJ Best Book in 2020, focused on the first Indigenous archaeologist in America and a champion for Native Peruvians. Federico and the Wolf (Clarion), which received anSLJ star in 2020, is a Mexican retelling of “Little Red Riding Hood.”
Chavarri is excited to have taken on an upcoming title featuring alpacas and another about salsa dancing. She also works on non-Latinx-themed projects, such as a recent Little Golden Book Biography on Taylor Swift and two holiday-themed titles.
With each book, she mixes up the mediums, alternating digital art, acrylic, collage, and watercolor. And in her creative work outside of picture book illustration, Chavarri doesn’t like to stay in one lane either. Projects range from creating a puzzle for a toy company to helping design the sets and costumes for the Joffrey Ballet Company’s first family-friendly ballet. She even illustrated a bookmobile for a Lansing, MI, area library.
Chavarri credits librarians for using their creativity to expand the audience for her books. One children’s librarian invited her to do a presentation of A Crown for Corina (Little, Brown), another 2023 SLJ starred title about a girl who selects her favorite flowers from Abuela’s garden to make her birthday corona at a flower festival.
“I’m so grateful for the outreach of librarians and how they share our stories with the kids,” she says. “They know how to get the right books in the hands of those who need them most.”
Shelley M. Diaz is theSLJ reviews editor.
Harlow, Poppy THE COLOR OF LOVE Viking (Children's None) $18.99 5, 14 ISBN: 9780593527108
In this collaboration from CNN Today anchor Harlow, Saturday TODAY anchor Jarrett, and illustrator Chavarri, a young girl and her class consider what love means to them.
After Ms. Clementine asks the class what images the word love conjures up, the room erupts with answers. Classmates describe special capes, baby siblings, and stuffed animals, while Grace feels overwhelmed as she considers the many things she loves. Then Ms. Clementine gives the class their assignment for the next day: "If love were a color, what color would it be?" Grace thinks hard on her walk home, struggling to pick only a single color, but when she discovers that her older brother, Dante, is home from college and making his famous gumbo for dinner, Grace knows exactly what color love is for her. While Harlow and Jarrett offer sweet prose and a cheerful look at the multifaceted ways love can manifest and the many meanings it can take on, the text nonetheless falls a little flat, with a narrative that veers away from calm and uncomplicated into facile territory. Still, Chavarri's illustrations bring to life what could be stagnant scenes; the art's charm, vibrancy, and easy whirls of movement sweep readers along to the (quite literally) heartful final spread. Grace and her brother are Black, and a multiracial ensemble of secondary characters makes up Grace's classroom.
Sweet, if somewhat bland, reflections on love. (Picture book. 3-6)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Harlow, Poppy: THE COLOR OF LOVE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A795673754/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=591cb78e. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
Oscar de la Renta. By Annette M. Clayton. Illus. by Elisa Chavarri. 2024. 24p. lib. ed., $29.93 (9781731657725). 746.9.
Serena Aunon-Chancellor. By Annette M. Clayton. Illus. by Elisa Chavarri. 2024. 24p. lib. ed., $29.93 (9781731657701). 629.450092.
These two new illustrated biographies in the Leaders like Us series focus on subjects with Latin American roots whose impressive achievements occurred in highly appealing fields. Oscar de la Renta was a fashion designer originally from the Dominican Republic who eventually headed a global brand that dressed celebrities, from first ladies to pop stars. Serena Aunon Chancellor is a NASA doctor with Cuban American heritage who was able to combine her dreams of pursuing medicine and becoming an astronaut. Elisa Chavari's illustrations add interest and are particularly useful in helping readers visualize fashion designs in the de la Renta entry. The books are clearly intended for academic use; they boast of alignment with the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards, and each includes an objective as well as a full front-matter page of instructions for before--and during-reading activities, which appear to be aligned with reading standards. The time lines in the back matter seem somewhat disconnected from the rest of the book, as many of the particular awards and events cited do not appear in the main text. The mandatory glossary and index, as well as a set of "text-dependent questions" and an "extension activity," round out the back matter. Despite the academic framework, the subjects are well chosen. Readers are likely to find these stories of inspiration, hard work, and ultimate achievement interesting and engaging.--Miriam Aronin
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
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Aronin, Miriam. "Leaders like Us. Rourke/Discovery Library. K-Gr. 3. (2 new titles)." Booklist, vol. 120, no. 19-20, 1 June 2024, p. 68. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A804018303/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a3bbb531. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
Loggia, Wendy TAYLOR SWIFT Golden Books/Random (Children's None) $4.78 5, 2 ISBN: 9780593566718
Taylor Swift's passion awakens when she picks up her first guitar as a child in Pennsylvania.
When she learns that her favorite country music stars got their start in Nashville, Taylor takes a spring break trip to Tennessee, personally delivering CDs of her original music to record label offices. At home, she jumps at any chance to perform her favorite country hits, but her real joy comes from songwriting. After she moves to Nashville as a teen, a music executive sees her perform and gives her the opportunity to record her debut album. Though Taylor's star is rising, her relationship with her mother keeps her grounded, and she takes time to treat her fans to special parties and surprises. The text is peppered with song references, cleverly mirroring the easter eggs that Taylor famously hides for fans. This gushing biography briefly references (and perhaps overstates) Taylor's efforts to encourage voter registration and speak against racial injustice ("She's a trailblazer!") but fails to mention a yearslong battle to own the rights to her master recordings and help protect young artists entering the industry. Cheerful, painterly illustrations depict a smiling Taylor from childhood to the present, with careful considerations of hairstyles and clothing choices that align with the eras of her life. Some background characters represent a variety of skin tones and body shapes.
This enthusiastic tribute to the modern pop idol is sure to satisfy Swifties.(Picture-book biography. 5-9)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Loggia, Wendy: TAYLOR SWIFT." Kirkus Reviews, 5 Nov. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A815560682/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=4c87b21e. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
Tillotson, Carrie ALPACAS HERE, ALPACAS THERE Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster (Children's None) $19.99 2, 11 ISBN: 9781665942027
An introduction to the shaggy, big-eyed, impossibly appealing alpaca.
As Tillotson points out, alpacas are raised for their warm fleeces in both their native South America and in North America. To reinforce that connection, the paired illustrations show them being raised, tended, and shorn in similar ways side by side on hilly Andean meadows and in flatter, grassier, fenced-in fields. In both settings, long-necked adults and their little crias fetchingly flock, nuzzle, or gambol springily as the author barrages readers and listeners with basic facts, presented in appropriately bouncy rhymes and parallel blocks of smaller-type prose, all capped by further historical and husbandry notes at the end. It's a heavy info-load, though delivered with infectious enthusiasm. Readers learn that alpacas were domesticated thousands of years ago in the Andes from their camelid cousin vicuñas and that they bear coats of 16 official colors in North America and 22 in South America, which are regularly removed without harm to the animals. Unlike sheep's wool, alpaca fleece requires no chemical processing before being spun. The smiling human figures that Peru-born Chavarri slips into her outdoorsy scenes alternate between racially diverse ranchers in the north and, in the south, brown-skinned herders dressed in a mix of modern and traditionally designed and patterned fabrics in a variety of bright colors and earth tones.
Cute, cozy, and rather relentlessly informative. (author's and illustrator's notes, glossary, selected sources)(Informational picture book. 6-9)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Tillotson, Carrie: ALPACAS HERE, ALPACAS THERE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Nov. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A815560587/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=b0c43927. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
VALENTI, Karla Arenas. Esperanza Caramelo, the Star of Nochebuena. illus. by Elisa Chavarri. 40p. Knopf. Sept. 2023. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780593488676.
K-Gr 3--In a magical kitchen full of bakery and pastry tools, a cake ornament comes to life. Esperanza Caramelo dances through the pages, bringing the other ornaments to life. Soon, it will be a celebration with cookie cutters, an abuelita, hot chocolate, dancing figures, and a Christmas tree that sits atop the cake. Nobody notices at first when a kitchen cat perks up and wants to play. In their dash to escape the cat, the cake and all the ornaments are overturned. It is up to the ornaments to make sure that the cake is presentable for Nochebuena. The next morning, the baker walks in with the cat on her shoulder. At this point, the narration breaks the fourth wall and addresses the audience in the second person, bringing readers into the story: "the baker knew what you and I have all along--her pasteleria had been gifted with a touch of magic." Atop and around the cake, mariachis, abuelas, dancing partners, children and sparklers, and family pets are featured as a celebration within a celebration. The last page displays a family's Christmas joy, paralleling the celebration that Esperanza Caramelo and the other figurines had the night before. Each page is a feast for the eyes. Back matter includes the author's photos of her own abuela's pastry creations. VERDICT Richly illustrated with vibrant colors, this picture book is sure to please.--Stephanie Creamer
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
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Creamer, Stephanie. "VALENTI, Karla Arenas. Esperanza Caramelo, the Star of Nochebuena." School Library Journal, vol. 69, no. 9, Sept. 2023, p. 85. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A762831827/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8a687474. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
KEMP, Laeken Zea. A Crown for Corina. illus. by Elisa Chavarri. 40p. Little, Brown. Feb. 2023. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780759556843.
K-Gr 2--It is Corina's birthday, and as a special gift, she is able to select her favorite flowers from Abuela's garden to use to make her corona. With help from Abuela, Corina learns about selecting flowers that hold special meaning to her, which will help tell the story of who she is. Corina thinks about her family and selects flowers that remind her of them: sunflowers, morning glories, coneflowers, and more. She also makes sure to select blooms that symbolize who Corina would like to be. Corina's crown of flowers is finally ready as her birthday guests arrive, and she shares the story of her corona and thinks about her family and their story long into the night. Lush watercolor illustrations showcase Abuela's garden and the joy that is bursting inside of Corina. Colorful and vivid spreads welcome readers to the garden and the celebrations, sharing the beauty of Corina's world and the love shared with family and friends. The text follows Corina and Abuela as they enjoy this important time together, with Corina asking Abuela about the corona as she explores the garden, and Abuela sharing the importance of family. VERDICT A gorgeous picture book celebrating tradition, family, and memories. Highly recommended for school and public libraries--Selenia Paz
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Paz, Selenia. "KEMP, Laeken Zea. A Crown for Corina." School Library Journal, vol. 69, no. 1, Jan. 2023, p. 61. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A732326493/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d76e8b02. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
QUOTED: "Chavarri's kaleidoscopic artwork dazzles thanks to a focus on comiclike visual flourishes and expressive characters."
Siqueira, Ana ABUELA'S SUPER CAPA Harper/HarperCollins (Children's None) $17.99 1, 17 ISBN: 978-0-06-311365-7
When a Latine child's superabuela falls sick and hangs up her capa, a young superhéroe springs into action.
On Saturdays, Super Luis and Sidekick Abuela get their superhéroe on, saving "citizens from danger" (keeping a vase from being knocked over by a tail-wagging dog), keeping cupcakes safe from household pets, and keeping lost capas out of the hands of "tiny intruders" like Luis' younger sister, Isabel. But when Saturday finally comes again, Luis and Isabel's parents reveal that Abuela is in the hospital. Despite Luis' (and Isabel's) superhugs and powerful kisses, Abuela returns home still "not superhéroe ready." Momentarily taken aback, Luis tries to speed up Abuela's recovery with even more superhugs, sips from a supershake, and smooches of "power-boosting kisses." Yet Abuela still quite doesn't return to her superself. What will Super Luis do without Sidekick Abuela? Though Siqueira and Chavarri's collaboration navigates rather serious subject matter, this slice-of-life tale concludes on a hopeful note as Isabel steps into the role of sidekick (Abuela does stick around until the end, thankfully). Often direct and playful, Siqueira's text, sprinkled with unitalicized Spanish words, assumes Luis' point of view, which works marvelously to render Abuela's physical decline in broad strokes. Chavarri's kaleidoscopic artwork dazzles thanks to a focus on comiclike visual flourishes and expressive characters, depicted as brown-skinned and dark-haired (Abuela is gray-haired). (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A sweet ode to superhéroe abuelas everywhere. (glossary of Spanish words) (Picture book. 4-8)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Siqueira, Ana: ABUELA'S SUPER CAPA." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Nov. 2022. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A726309253/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=96567091. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
Federico and the Wolf. By Rebecca J. Gomez. Illus. by Elisa Chavarri. May 2020.40p. Clarion, $17.99 (9781328567789). K-Gr. 2.
Gomez and Chavarri offer a modern take on Little Red Riding Hood full of Mexican flavor in this picture book about a boy in a red hoodie running errands for his abuelo. In rhyming, bouncy quatrains featuring plenty of Spanish words, Gomez tells the tale of Federico, who rides his bike to the market to purchase produce so his grandfather can make the perfect pico de gallo at his shop. On his way, Rico meets the big bad wolf, and the classic plot points ensue. But Federico comes up with a clever (and spicy) solution using the ingredients in his bike basket. Chavarri's bright illustrations include a vibrant array of Mexican produce, flowers, decorations, and objects that are culturally representative, and her expressive, bold figures nicely emphasize the dramatic turns of the story. The endpapers, in a style recalling traditional Mexican ceramics decoration, are particularly eye-catching. In addition to a glossary defining the Spanish words used in the story, the back matter includes a recipe for pico de gallo. A lively, playful take on a classic.--Vivian Alvarez
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2020 American Library Association
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Alvarez, Vivian. "Federico and the Wolf." Booklist, vol. 116, no. 13, 1 Mar. 2020, p. 61. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A618567239/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=e4dd1362. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
Kassem, Amirah BAKE A RAINBOW CAKE! abramsappleseed (Children's Informational) $16.99 2, 25 ISBN: 978-1-4197-3746-6
It’s all about the colors in this board-book version of the virally popular “rainbow explosion” cake.
The cake, which stars in many online videos and slide shows, is actually all about the sprinkles, evoked here with a combination of multihued spinners or sliders and hundreds of tiny holes punched into the sturdy cover and stock. Kassem, a New York City specialist baker, recaps its creation…without specific ingredients but step by step in the simplest language: “Pour it! / Mix it! // Color it!” The images are abstract enough that the result never really looks like food, but young digerati are unlikely to care as they’re directed to choose colors for each of the six layers, pull a tab to watch them rise in the oven, then see all but the top layer hollowed out before being stacked in rainbow order (sans indigo) and finally filled with a column of sprinkles that will pour out in a climactic rush (“Surprise!”) when the finished cake, its outside likewise sprinkle encrusted, is sliced. Chavarri’s simple illustrations flash with oversaturated hues, each succeeding double-page spread being somehow brighter than the last one, until the final uncomplicated pop-up unfolds in a grand shower of confetti and sprinkles. Budding chefs may find the recipe-based approach in Lotta Niemenen’s Cook in a Book series more to their taste, but for sheer energy and dazzle, this is hard to beat.
A feast…at least for the eyes, and much better for the teeth. (Board book. 3-5)
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"Kassem, Amirah: BAKE A RAINBOW CAKE!" Kirkus Reviews, 15 Mar. 2020. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A617192970/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9fcbaab7. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
Codell, Esme Raji MAYBE MOTHER GOOSE Aladdin (Children's Picture Books) $17.99 6, 21 ISBN: 978-1-4814-4036-3
Nursery rhymes provide playful opportunities for a diverse classroom. Readers familiar with Codell's work may recognize that Chavarri models the teacher character after her in the colorful, digital illustrations. The teacher greets a multiracial group of children entering her nursery school classroom in frontmatter pages. And the text begins with a brief Q-and-A: "Circle time? Yes. Playing with friends? Yes. Indoor recess? NOOOOO!" The teacher holds up a Mother Goose book to entice her disappointed charges, who stand looking out at the rain in the last part of this exchange. The subsequent double-page spread doesn't seem quite to follow, as it first shows the "Twinkle Twinkle" rhyme and then depicts a pajama-clad black child answering "Yes" to "Window?" "Star?" "Wish?" and "NOOOOO!" to "Space aliens?" But then a page turn delivers the equivocal verdict "Well, maybe" and shows the child cavorting in a fantastic outer-space scene with extraterrestrials, spaceships, and the cow jumping over the moon. (Is this indoor recess?) The Q-and-A pattern continues with other rhymes until the book's end, when it returns to classroom, teacher, and children, who can now go outside to play since the rain, rain's gone away. While there's rhyme, this text lacks reason. (Picture book. 3-5)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Codell, Esme Raji: MAYBE MOTHER GOOSE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Apr. 2016. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A447747750/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=3d110b50. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
MARSHALL, Linda Elovitz. Rainbow Weaver/Tejedora del arcoiris. tr. from English by Eida de la Vega, illus. by Elisa Chavarri. 40p. ebook available, glossary. Children's Bk. Pr. Oct. 2016. Tr $18.95. ISBN 9780892393749. BL
K-Gr 3--Fans of Omar S. Castaneda's Abuela's Weave will enjoy this lovely selection about perseverance, community, and the ancient Mayan art of weaving. In order to earn money at the market, the women in young Ixchel's Guatemalan village "weave thread into fabric as beautiful as a rainbow." The girl desperately wants to learn and participate in this traditional art, but her mother gently refuses. Mama tells her that the money she earns from the cloth will be used to purchase books and fund an education for Ixchel. The cloth must be eye-catching in order to earn a good price. Ixchel is disappointed but determined to help and soon comes up with a creative way to clean up her village and weave a unique type of cloth. Vibrant illustrations bring the story to life and provide readers with a glimpse of indigenous Guatemalan culture. The images could also be used during a discussion about facial expressions and how they communicate emotions. The English and Spanish texts are clearly delineated. The author incorporates several words in Kaqchikel, one of the Mayan languages spoken in Guatemala. A glossary and pronunciation guide are provided at the beginning of the volume. A detailed author's note at the narrative's conclusion explains the inspiration for this tale. Pair this with a simple weaving project and some primary source photographs. VERDICT An uplifting offering that would be a wonderful addition to picture book collections and STEAM programs.--Katie Darrin, Boulder Valley School District, CO
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Darrin, Katie. "Marshall, Linda Elovitz. Rainbow Weaver/Tejedora del arcoiris." School Library Journal, vol. 62, no. 10, Oct. 2016, pp. 80+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A466166858/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9670facb. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.