Mi Casa Is My Home

August 1, 2021
Little Luc�a takes readers on a tour of the house where she lives with her "big, loud, beautiful familia." As Luc�a moves from space to space, readers meet the many family members that live in or visit the house and all the activities and interactions they have. She enters through la puerta, from which Abuela waves at the neighbors, to la sala, where she makes forts out of sofa cushions with her cousins and the cousins of her cousins. From there, readers travel through la cocina, where on special holidays Abuelo cooks his masterpiece turkey "a la espa�ola," and back outside to el patio, where "I turn the music muy muy alta para bailar y bailar y bailar." In el ba�o, "Abuela says, "Sana sana colita de rana!" as she tends to Luc�a's scraped knee. Then there's el cuarto de mis hermanos, where she sometimes sneaks in "when I need un abrazo extra" from her brothers. She ends the tour at "mi habitaci�n," which has a bright sign on the door: LUC�A'S ROOM! This sweet family story will be best enjoyed by readers who speak both Spanish and English, as Luc�a uses Spanglish, seamlessly moving back and forth between the two languages. The accompanying illustrations have a charming childlike feel that complements Luc�a's cheer and provides visual context for readers who don't speak Spanish. Luc�a's family members represents the Latinx community's racial diversity. A warm family account that will ring true with many Latinx children. (Picture book. 4-6)

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August 1, 2021
Preschool-Grade 2 Luc�a lives in a yellow house with her large and loving family, and in Sala and Hoang's warm picture book, readers are invited to walk through her cozy home. We begin with the door, where her abuela likes to stand and say hello to the neighbors passing by, and as we explore the rest of her home, we begin to understand the importance of each room to Luc�a and her family. The text is a combination of English and Spanish that forms a seamless Spanglish prose that many bilingual children will recognize. The multimedia illustrations are colorful and large, often taking up entire spreads, excellent for single or group readings. Hoang is effective in portraying a diverse extended family, and the sense of a close-knit home is ever present throughout the illustrations and text as Luc�a walks us through each room. Sala and Hoang have created a book that celebrates home, family, and togetherness that will leave readers feeling right at home with Luc�a.

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August 30, 2021
A light brown–skinned child named Lucía introduces their casa—and their “big, loud, beautiful familia,” which has roots in Puerto Rico and España—in this picture book by Sala. As Lucía treats the audience to a tour of the family’s casa in a seamless blend of English and Spanish (“Esta es la cocina... It’s where I watch Mamá perform milagros”), González Hoang offers context clues for non-Spanish-speaking readers in soft watercolor, colored pencil, and digital spreads, showcasing the family and community’s range of skin tones along the way. The immersive Spanish may present a learning curve for some (“cumples,” “ropa vieja,” and “Sana sana colita de rana!” for example, are nowhere near cognados to their English translations), but familiar elements—“Abuela puts smelly stuff on my chest when I’m sick”—ensure that readers of this bilingual picture book will find much to appreciate. Ages 3–7.

Starred review from August 13, 2021

Gr 2-4-Lucia is a friendly young girl with a large family and a beautiful yellow house. In this book, she takes readers on a tour of each room in her home, su casa, explaining what happens there with her friends, family, and pets. In la cocina, her mother cooks yummy soups. In la sala, Lucia builds couch forts with her cousins, sus primos. The book itself is a friendly square shape, and Lucia is a happy narrator and guide in her bright blue rainbow shirt. Hoang's watercolor and colored pencil illustrations are cheerful and vibrant. On almost every page, characters of a variety of skin tones and dress smile, play, and dance. The Spanish words are naturally incorporated into the text, without italics or parenthetical translations; those unfamiliar with the vocabulary can use context clues from both the text and art to decode meaning. Sala's choice not to provide a glossary or translations helps show readers that Spanish isn't a separate language but one that fits perfectly alongside English in Lucia's home-and in other homes, too. VERDICT A must-buy. This book is perfect not only for bilingual readers but also for those seeking to connect more with another language.-Chance Lee Joyner, Haverhill P.L., MA

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2021
"!Hi! Soy Lucia. Bienvenidos a mi casa. I live here with my big, loud, beautiful familia." Lucia takes readers on a tour in Spanglish of her house and introduces her multi-generational Latinx family. Her narration begins at the front door ("Esta es la puerta") where her abuela waves to neighbors and her relatives enter for visits. In the kitchen, Mama performs such milagros as ropa vieja and Abuelo prepares turkey a la espanola on holidays. Spanish speakers will feel welcomed by this warm family story; non-Spanish-speakers should be able to follow the story from clues in the cheerful illustrations, which stay true to the text's child's-eye perspective.

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)