El toro & friends Tacos today Tacos today /

Caution: don't read this while hungry! This mouthwatering early-reader comic follows El Toro and his luchador pals on a hunt for Tuesday's favorite food group: tacos. After they all fantasize about their favorite taco fillings, such as fish, cactus, and beef tongue, La Oink Oink comes up with a plan to earn the cash they need to eat their fill of delicious tacos. In usual Raul the Third--and--Bay fashion, each page is richly decorated, full of action and gorgeous color, drawing the eye every which way to discover myriad details. As with their other books, this one is bilingual; the translated lines are primarily dialogue or key words in speech balloons. The luchadores in this story are younger versions of the ones in the World of ¡Vamos! books, though the visual style and overall energetic tone carry through, nicely expanding the universe of the original series titles for kids who can't get enough of the wrestling pals.

Gr 1--3--Young El Toro and his fellow luchadores (Armor Dillo, Lizards, Jack A. Lopez, and La Oink Oink) want tacos for lunch but lack the funds to make it happen. After taking the party bus to Taco Square, the group starts performing their luchador skills in order to earn the required taco money and ultimately satisfy their hungry bellies. In this early reader graphic novel--style work, which employs a mix of paneled pages and ample full spreads, detailed backgrounds combined with upbeat and expressive character design allow young readers to fully immerse themselves in the anthropomorphic animal "World of ¡Vamos!" Centered on a fairly benign conflict (aka getting money for tacos), the short but focused plot emphasizes problem-solving, positivity, and teamwork. The incorporated Spanish words and phrases within the text stand out thanks to purple font color, and their meanings are easy to decipher from surrounding context. VERDICT A great pick for beginning readers who are just getting the hang of graphic novels. Only downside? It will make you hungry for tacos!