El cuarto turquesa / The Turquoise Room

Review
By School Library Journal

Four generations are inspired by the beauty of Peru, the endless possibilities of the world around them, and a very special turquoise room. Esther is a young girl who lives in Peru, where she spends her time drawing and dreaming of exploring the world. She paints a special map of South America, and when she grows up, she hangs this map in a turquoise room where she now cares for her daughter Isabel. Esther shares with Isabel stories of her travels. When Isabel grows up, she moves to the United States and her passion for painting flourishes. Soon, she shares her love for Peru and the secrets of traveling in her dreams with her own daughter, Monica. This love for Peru and its magic is passed on through words and stories to Monica’s own daughters—Esther’s great-granddaughters—and to readers. Shades of purple and turquoise create a mysterious and magical atmosphere within the pages that beckons to readers and invites them to dream. A love for Peru and for family is shared in each spread, and the text, presented in English and Spanish, lovingly and patiently shares the story of these four women and of the power of following dreams.

VERDICT A love letter to Peru, dreams, and daughters everywhere, this intergenerational bilingual picture book is a good choice for most picture book collections.