Review by Booklist Review
Ages 5-8. The 14 poems in this bilingual (English-Spanish) collection were written or selected by Carlson, the editor of Cool Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Growing Up Latino in the United States. The poetry is plain and prosaic--simple strings of images describing family and the activities that fill a Latino child's day from sunup to sundown, or "sol a sol." Lisker's colorful, ebullient, and bold acrylic illustrations add much-needed punch and spark. This is picture-book poetry for larger collections or those with great demand for Latino literature. (Reviewed April 1, 1998)080504373XAnnie Ayers
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-5Read in order, these 14 poems by Carlson and a variety of other poets describe a Hispanic family's activities during one day, depicting such scenes as mama making tortillas, grandpa playing the guitar, and the family cat somersaulting through the air. Each selection appears in both English and Spanish, although a few of the English versions include some Spanish words. The short pieces adequately express familial love and a child's -eye view of the world, but generally lack concrete imagery and consequently do not have the emotional immediacy of finer poetic depictions. The real beauty of this collection is in the simple, bright pictures. Executed in deep, primary-colored acrylics, Lisker'spaintings burst off the pages, enveloping readers in a world of blue dogs, purple cats, and red stars. A gorgeously illustrated book with average-quality poems.Denise E. Agosto, formerly at Midland County Public Library, TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Most of the poems in this collection were originally written in English by Carlson and other authors and translated into Spanish by Lyda Aponte de Zacklin. Familiar rituals come fresh through a little girl's voice, and sunny illustrations string together the poems from 'sol a sol'--sunup to sundown. However, a less literal translation aiming at the essence of these poems would have made them shine in both languages. From HORN BOOK Fall 1998, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
