The flower shop La florería

Readers visit a small flower shop in this amiable bilingual board book, an early addition to the Teeny Tiendas series. At the store, Latinx-cued proprietor Mrs. Rosario arranges bright blooms, which sit in an array of vases. Via English and Spanish words set off in different hues, straightforward text by Heuer (On This Airplane) welcomes readers to the shop and details various flower types ("roses and rosemary, rosas y romeros"). As the list continues, shoppers shown with various abilities and skin tones peruse the wares, assembling bouquets, contemplating colorways, and more. González Hoang (A New Kind of Wild) conveys emotion via simple facial expressions--on one page, an adult and two children smilingly place stems in a vase--and depicts the store's orange cat wandering through the spreads. Finally, a labeled table of flowers helps readers review the introduced types, and a surprise event provides a community-oriented destination for the bought blossoms. It's a charming vocabulary primer with plenty of flower power. Publishing simultaneously: Teeny Tiendas: The Fruit Shop/La frutería. Ages up to 3. Author's agent: Kelly Sonnack, Andrea Brown Literary. Illustrator's agent: Andrea Morrison, Writers House. (Sept.)

Baby-Toddler--This new bilingual board book series welcomes little ones to the stores, workers, and products in their neighborhoods. In The Flower Shop/La florería (also known as la floristería), Mrs. Rosario's flower shop is the center of the short narrative where children and their caregivers buy flowers for the elders at the Senior Center. Different types of flowers are introduced in English and Spanish, and lovely illustrations accompany them to showcase the colorful wonders of the shop. In The Fruit Shop/La frutería, readers meet Mr. Manzano and his fruit shop, a place to find star fruit, peaches, guayabas, and grapefruit. Diverse family groups stop by the shop to get fruit for a picnic at the park. Both books use simple bilingual texts and playful illustrations that will engage young children to learn and identify flowers and fruits at their next visits to the shops. VERDICT Charming entries in a new series that will help kids get to know their communities.--Sujei Lugo