Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The narrator of this upbeat holiday picture book--Toti, the self-proclaimed "King of Cascarones"--plans to get the upper hand over the family on Easter, when the confetti-filled eggs are cracked on loved ones' heads. Toti's careful planning includes engineering "cascarones the world has never seen," such as some filled with slime. "When I get cracking," the child boasts, "no one is safe, not even Abuela." But after Toti's careful creations disappear, an underestimated relation turns the tables. Fajardo lets the egg puns fly throughout this playful work ("You wanna hear a yolk?... Time to scramble!"), while Arreola Mendoza's digital illustrations display the planning stage, and subsequent familial hijinks, in bold hues and sprawling lines. Characters cue as Latinx. Publishes simultaneously in Spanish. Ages 3--7. (Feb.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3--Cascarones are empty eggshells that have been decorated, filled with confetti, and then sealed. A Latinx Easter tradition involves breaking them over loved ones' heads. In this story, egg puns abound when Toti, the self-proclaimed "King of Cascarones," prepares for his favorite Easter "shellabration." Toti has been carefully removing the tops of eggs and filling them with not just old-school confetti, but also surprises like slime and "smoke-screen cascarones," so no one will see him coming. "I'm a mastermind of eggceptional creations!" he gloats. But Toti doesn't have any idea that this Easter, his family has some shell-shocking surprises of their own. Filled with the bright, inviting colors of Easter, these jam-packed illustrations burst with movement, life, and celebration--a fitting complement to the the playful narrative highlighting family time and the importance of tradition. Peppered with Spanish words that are translated easily from context; prankster energy; and wide, oversized smiles on every family member from Toti to Abuela, readers will no doubt be inspired to eat their eggs and save the shells so they, too, can dive into the tradition of cascarón making with their own families--no matter which holidays they celebrate. The back of the book contains illustrated instructions for how to make cascarones. VERDICT A playful and unique addition to Easter holiday books.--Rebecca Kirshenbaum
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A mischievous young boy delights in pelting his family with cascarones, hollowed-out eggshells filled with confetti. Toti declares, "I'm the King of Cascarones!" and explains that he's preparing for a big springtime "shellebration" where he plans to crack cascarones on everyone in his multigenerational family. He practices by flinging the shells at each family member; no one is safe! Toti takes things a step further by designing new types of cascarones, including smoke-filled versions and even ones filled with slime. He can't wait for the day to arrive, but on the fateful morning, his family members--and his cascarones--are nowhere to be found. The family has swapped out his eggs for plastic ones and now begin pelting him with the cascarones. Instead of sulking, he immediately begins planning for next year's hijinks. The playful tale captures the joy of family traditions and the delight of creative pranks, inspiring readers to make their own fun. Upbeat illustrations splattered with pastel hues bring the lighthearted tradition to life, and many details on the page will help readers who aren't familiar with this Spanish tradition to better understand it. The main character and his family are brown-skinned and cued Latine; Spanish phrases are peppered throughout the text. Sure to make readers smile, this sparkling story affirms cultural traditions.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
