Gracias • Thanks

Review
By The Horn Book Magazine

Often poetic (the ladybug is “a little red flying surprise”), often funny (the boy is thankful for his mother, who found his lost homework), Mora’s text is presented in Spanish first, then English, a respectful nod to Spanish-speaking readers. Parra’s folk-art-style acrylic illustrations look as though they’re painted on wood; the lines and imperfections give the pictures a worn, homey appearance that matches the sweetness of the text and the old-fashioned feel of the setting. This grateful lad has simple, low-tech belongings such as a baseball and glove, a kite, and a microscope—not a video game in sight. But there’s nothing outmoded about the sentiment, and many young readers will see themselves or someone they know in this biracial Latino boy who likes fishing, listening to his uncle’s electric guitar, and eating chocolate syrup on ice cream.