Review by Booklist Review
"Panza is another word for belly," explains this warm book, in which a boy ponders the love he and his mother share and how her panza plays a prominent role in that love. This body-positive book celebrates the wonder, love, and strength our bodies allow us to express. Scanned colored pencils with digital paint brushes result in bright illustrations, adding to the celebration. Radiant flowers, hearts, and little berries throughout the book add whimsy and convey happy playfulness. The precocious boy notices that his mom's panza is a soft place to land while wrestling, a hiding space when he's feeling shy, and a snuggly pillow as they share a bedtime story. Mamá explains to her son that his first home, his first cradle, was her panza, adding to her reasons for loving her panza. The mother's and son's facial expressions successfully convey love and tenderness. Mother and son present as Latinx; they have different hair and skin colors. Sporadic Spanish words emphasize the bicultural elements of the book.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A child expresses appreciation for a favorite belly--their Mamá's panza--in this tender, body-neutral telling. Though panzas can be "big, round, soft, or small and hard, or somewhere in between," everyone has one, and the child narrator's loves their mother's best. It was the youth's "first home" ("a big round garden" that communicated, "Here we are. Make some room. We've got growing to do"), and the scene of first communications between them. Now, Mamá's panza is "a drum I like to play"--an action that precedes "my panza's turn to be a drum," and a loving game of chase between the two. Galvez's uncomplicated digital illustrations render the duo, who cue as Latinx, amid blooming flower motifs in largely domestic scenes that underline the book's comfortable interpersonal feel. A Spanish edition publishes simultaneously. Ages 3--7. (Mar.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Everyone has a panza! A precocious child declares that "panza is another word for belly." Mamá's panza is soft and ample, and it's the little one's favorite panza of them all. The young narrator interacts with Mamá's body in various ways: playfully using it as a drum, snuggling up to Mamá's panza while she reads a story, and hiding behind Mamá's body during moments of shyness. Gleeful smiles and tender embraces make it clear that the child loves Mamá dearly. Mamá explains that she loves her panza, too: "Our bodies are miracles for what they can do…My panza kept you alive and keeps me alive as well. How could I not love it?" She shares that her panza was the child's first home, and it stretched as the little one grew. Inviting illustrations depict a warm, sturdy mother using the strength and size of her curvy body to grow and raise a child. Her brown skin and black hair glow with health and affection. The child has short, curly brown hair and lighter brown skin; both are cued Latine. This affirming ode to bellies shows readers the strength of a woman's love for her child and the wonderful things a body can do. Publishes simultaneously in Spanish. A sweet, body-positive celebration of motherhood and its physical expression. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
