Review by Booklist Review
Saddle up for the absolute joyride of this exuberant father-daughter adventure, perfect for fans of My Papi Has a Motorcycle (2019) and G. Neri. Dad wakes the young girl long before dawn, the strength of their bond and mutual excitement as palpable as the promise of the day. They cross the city first on a motorcycle, through "a new kind of quiet" while "the sky is midnight black, and the stars are still twinkling," to reach a ranch where their horses await. "But today we ride together, and today I get to ride on the street, like a cowboy." Through a seamless melding of lyrical text and high-spirited full-bleed illustrations, the pair sets out with sheer delight on their neighborhood horseback ride. Using oils on watercolor paper, Esperanza (Boogie Boogie, Y'all, 2021) renders this memorable multigenerational "'just us' time" story through euphoric colors and dynamic movement; the portraiture--both human and horse--particularly transfixes. Nods to the family's Panamanian roots pepper the text and are included in visual touches like Abuelita's coffee cup and a horse's mola blanket. Landmarks in their vibrant urban community ground the family identity, while the horsemanship offers an extra layer of rarefied membership to the girl's pride. A blue-ribbon pick for both story time and home use, sure to delight cowboys both real and imagined.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
When Daddy wakes this picture book's young narrator before dawn, the two grin at each other: "Today, we get to ride together--just me and Daddy." Taking Daddy's motorcycle to the ranch where their horses live, the two observe the early morning quiet. The duo next brush and feed horses Power and Clover before saddling up ("If I'm lucky, people will see us ride and we'll make them smile like the cowboys do"). Esperanza's thick-stroked oil paintings depict the landscape and the duo's early morning route ("We pass Mommy's favorite coffee shop and the place where Abuelita sends money to her sister"), while the narrator's father reflects on how riding makes him feels ("stronger, safer, and happier"). Together, the creators expertly capture the open feel of early morning alongside the beauty of one-on-one time in this visually immersive story about a child whose "Daddy is a cowboy.... And so am I." Characters cue as Afro-Latinx. Ages 4--8. (June)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
An Afro-Latine father and child awaken before sunrise for an early-morning horse ride together. The child, who narrates the story, kisses Abuelita goodbye. Then Daddy and the little one head to the ranch on his motorcycle. They greet their horses: a shiny black mare called Power for Daddy and a spunky brown pony named Clover for the child. They ride their horses through the quiet streets of the city, and the child relishes Daddy's undivided attention as well as the thrill of being the only ones awake. Daddy tells stories about learning to ride as a child, and they see the city begin to wake up. Feeling safe, strong, and happy, the child beams with pride. As the sun rises, painting the sky in hues of pink and gold, the bond between father, child, and their beloved horses is illuminated, and the narrator declares them both cowboys. Seales' quiet yet energetic text brims with details sure to resonate with children, while Esperanza's richly textured oil paintings breathe life and movement into each page. Vibrant colors and abstract design embellishments convey the immense pleasure and freedom felt by both father and child as they connect over horseback riding. A magical celebration of family, freedom, and Black joy. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
