Review by Booklist Review
In a wonderful new installment in the José and Feliz series, José is excited to be on a soccer team. He makes sure to practice every day, and one day his dog, Feliz, steps in to play too. What José sees next surprises him. Feliz has learned how to dribble the soccer ball, quickly maneuvering around the orange cones in the yard: "Tapping the ball con su nariz . . . Bumping it con su cabeza . . . Pushing it con sus patas." Later, the whole family goes to watch José's team practice, and Feliz runs out and begins to play! The coach and team are so impressed they make the pup their team mascot. Victories all around! The story has four short chapters well suited for beginning readers. The book is filled with full-page, color illustrations to keep readers engaged, and the text carefully balances Spanish vocabulary within the English sentences. A helpful guide that translates the words and phrases used in the book is appended.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2--José is bursting with excitement as he runs off of the school bus. He was selected to be on his school's soccer team! José's pet dog, Feliz (Spanish for happy), is also bursting with excitement at the sight of José. When José arrives home, his family, including Feliz, greet him and give him some special gifts. José receives a soccer ball, net, and cones to practice with at home. The boy jumps into action and starts practicing outside with Feliz. When Feliz gets a bit confused and plays fetch with the soccer ball, José tells Feliz that he cannot. José brings Feliz to practice, where he once again joins in and starts playing with the soccer ball. At first José is nervous that the coach will be mad at Feliz, but the coach laughs it off and gives Feliz a team uniform to wear. The day of the big game arrives, and José is excited to play. Will the dog obey? This chapter book is a great choice for children looking to go beyond easy readers. Vibrant, colorful illustrations give the book a joyful look that readers will gravitate toward. Bilingual text integrated into the story has enough context clues for non-Spanish speakers; there is also a glossary of words and phrases in the back. VERDICT An excellent addition to early chapter book collections. This title has so much promise for readers who are learning Spanish, interested in soccer, or have a love of dogs.--Katie Llera
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
In this bilingual chapter book, a Latine boy realizes his dog has a hidden talent. José has been picked for the soccer team! When his family surprises him with new equipment, he rushes out to practice with his dog, Feliz. Everyone knows Feliz is intelligent--he even recognizes commands in both English and Spanish--but no one knew he was also a natural jugador de fútbol! At practice, Feliz watches the action from the bleachers until the time comes to practice kicking. As José dribbles the ball toward the goal, Feliz rushes the field, embarrassing the boy. Fortunately, everyone on the team is amazed by the dog's skills, even the coach, who appoints Feliz the team mascot. When José scores the winning goal of their first game, he calls Feliz onto the field to celebrate; the two best friends are brought even closer through their shared love of the game. Early in the book, readers learn that everyone in José's house speaks both English and Spanish, and the book is likewise bilingual. The text is written mostly in English but weaves in Spanish words and phrases on most pages, imitating the natural code-switching of many bilingual people. Colorful cartoon illustrations provide effective visual support for developing readers. José and his family are dark-haired and have varying shades of brown skin; his community is a diverse one. Sure to have newly independent readers--especially soccer fans--cheering. (glossary) (Early chapter book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
