Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match: Marisol McDonald No Combina (Marisol McDonald Bilingual English/Spanish)

by Monica Brown (Author) Sara Palacios (Illustrator)

Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match: Marisol McDonald No Combina (Marisol McDonald Bilingual English/Spanish)
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

Marisol McDonald has flaming red hair and nut-brown skin. Polka dots and stripes are her favorite combination. She prefers peanut butter and jelly burritos in her lunch box. To Marisol, these seemingly mismatched things make perfect sense together. Other people wrinkle their nose in confusion at Marisol--can't she just choose one or the other? Try as she might, in a world where everyone tries to put this biracial, Peruvian-Scottish-American girl into a box, Marisol McDonald doesn't match. And that's just fine with her.

Marisol McDonald tiene el pelo rojo llameante y la piel morena. Los lunares y las rayas son su combinación favorita. Prefiere burritos de mantequilla de maní y mermelada en su lonchera. Para Marisol, estas cosas aparentemente disparejas tienen perfecto sentido juntas. Otras personas arrugan la nariz confundidas ante Marisol, ¿no puede ella elegir uno u otro? Por mucho que lo intente, en un mundo en el que todo el mundo trata de encasillar a esta chica birracial peruana-escocesa-estadounidense, Marisol McDonald no encaja. Y eso está bien con ella.

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Publishers Weekly

The vivacious Peruvian-Scottish-American protagonist of this bilingual book has brown skin and hair "the color of fire." Her friends tell her that she "doesn't match," because of her appearance and her wardrobe, but when Marisol tones down her style, she realizes that it doesn't feel right. Palacio's collage work incorporates newsprint, vibrant patterns, and Peruvian motifs, echoing the message about being true to oneself. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)

Copyright 2011 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2--Marisol McDonald has brown skin, freckles, and hair the color of fire. She pairs polka dots with stripes and eats peanut butter and jelly burritos. She's a Peruvian-Scottish-American who is perfect just the way she is. Why not have a game of soccer-playing pirates or mix cursive with print? That makes sense to Marisol. But others seem to see things differently. When another student issues a matching challenge to Marisol, she has to decide if she will conform simply to show that she can. In this lively bilingual book, Marisol is brought to life in both English and Spanish through Brown's dynamic prose, Palacios's vibrant illustrations, and Dominguez's outstanding translation. This fun book allows readers to meet a wonderful character. Children get a glimpse of what it means to grow up in a biracial family and have other people trying to define what is "normal." The story encourages readers to embrace their uniqueness and be exactly who they are.--Veronica Corral, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, NC

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Monica Brown

Monica Brown is the author of several bilingual books for children inspired by her Peruvian-American heritage. She is a recipient of the Américas Award for Children's Literature and a professor of English at Northern Arizona University.

Julie Paschkis has illustrated many award-winning books, including Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella by Paul Fleischman and Through Georgia's Eyes by Rachel Rodríguez. For Pablo Neruda, Julie traveled to Chile to see Neruda's home and the people that inspired him.

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780892392353
Lexile Measure
580
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Children's Book Press (CA)
Publication date
April 20, 2013
Series
Marisol McDonald
BISAC categories
JUV048000 - Juvenile Fiction | Clothing & Dress
JUV011030 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Hispanic & Latino
Library of Congress categories
Spanish language materials
Bilingual
Individuality
Racially mixed people
Hispanic Americans
Pura Belpre Award
Honor Book 2012 - 2012
Black-Eyed Susan Award
Nominee 2013 - 2014

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