Bisa's Carnaval

Gr 1--4--Clara is excited about celebrating Carnaval. It is her holiday to enjoy with her family. She worries that this year her bisa (great-grandmother) will not be able to attend. In the first spread, the phrase, "Louder, Faster," is bolded, reversed, and enlarged, which acts to convey the tempo of the celebration, a festive time that brings everyone together and is a way for the older generation to pass on tradition. This is depicted as Bisa shows Clara, who needn't have worried, an album filled with pictures of past experiences. They are part of a larger cultural celebration that extends to readers as they see the village come together; the pages are filled with color, the rhythm of the sounds, and the street signs and other writing in Spanish. VERDICT A great additon to holiday collections, this book celebrates community and legacy.--Ruth Guerrier-Pierre, New York P.L.

A young girl and her great-grandmother share their love for a special annual holiday. It's Carnaval time in Brazil, and Clara can't wait to celebrate it with her family and especially with her bisa (great-grandmother). In the lead-up to the festivities Clara and Bisa spend time together going through Bisa's memories of previous years and lovingly choosing the colorful fabrics Bisa will use to create beautiful fantasias--costumes--for Clara, her cousins, and her sisters. Bisa herself doesn't attend Carnaval this year due to her age, and as Clara loses herself to the sounds and scents around her, she realizes there is something she can do to make it all even better. The Brazilian duo of author Pastro and illustrator Coroa bring to life the street Carnaval of Olinda, a city in the northeast of Brazil, with a story that celebrates one of the country's most important and beloved holidays with humor, truth, and heart. The picture book showcases Carnaval as a heartwarming multigenerational celebration and is peppered with easy-to-contextualize Portuguese words (a glossary is provided at the end). The illustrations are suitably celebratory, with bright colors and detailed and festive backgrounds as well as a plethora of characters who represent the diversity of the Brazilian people. Clara and her family have light-brown skin. Joyous multigenerational fun. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.