Readers learn along with Rafi and Rosi as they explore bomba, plena, and salsa in three chapters. The fourth installment in Delacre’s early-reader series centers on the rich musical traditions of Puerto Rico, once again featuring sibling tree frogs Rafi and Rosi Coquí. Finished illustrations not seen.Ī fitting farewell, still funny, acute, and positive in its view of human nature even in its 37th episode. But hardly is he out of sight before Doug is meeting Mohammad, a new neighbor from Syria who (along with further diversifying a cast that began as mostly white but has become increasingly multiethnic over the years) will also be starting fourth grade at summer’s end, and planning a written account of his “horrible” buddy’s exploits. Of course, Harry isn’t as blasé about the move as he pretends, and eyes aren’t exactly dry when he departs. From his desk he pulls a burned hot dog and other items that featured in past episodes, says goodbye to Song Lee and other classmates, and even (for the first time ever) leads Doug and readers into his house and memento-strewn room for further reminiscing. With series fans in mind, the author takes Harry through a sort of last-day-of-school farewell tour. The news leaves his best friend, narrator “Dougo,” devastated…particularly as Harry doesn’t seem all that fussed about it. Having, as Kline notes in her warm valedictory acknowledgements, taken 30 years to get through second and third grade, Harry Spooger is overdue to move on-but not just into fourth grade, it turns out, as his family is moving to another town as soon as the school year ends. (This book was reviewed digitally.)Īn instructive story about balancing big dreams with real life, with a charming heroine to root for.Ī long-running series reaches its closing chapters. Cepeda’s full-bleed spreads are immersive and inviting, while cut-out illustrations surrounded by white space convey the sense of isolation Lupe feels when she is made to tone down her antics. Charlton-Trujillo and Miller’s narrative always respects Lupe’s personality, never making her a joke. The mostly light brown–skinned students and adults are authentic to the book’s Texas setting, and Spanish words are scattered throughout. Spanish-inflected onomatopoeia describing drumbeats jumps out of the text and makes a bold statement, just like Lupe herself. Dejected, Lupe spends the second day of kindergarten feeling miserable in her ordinariness until she finds a happy medium. Not to be deterred, however, she forges ahead with her own rock-star rules, like making noise at lunch with makeshift drums and starting an after-school fan club for herself…whose first meeting nobody attends. Instead of gaining instant celebrity, Lupe becomes the first kid in kindergarten to get in trouble. Quintanilla tells her that school has rules. Armed with “drumsticks” (really pencils), she marches into the classroom intent on making a splash, until Ms. Brown-skinned Latina Lupe Lopez isn’t just ready to go to kindergarten-she’s ready to be the star of kindergarten.
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