Round Is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes

PreS-Gr 2--This picture book in rhyme focuses on everyday things-a square for a park, a round pot of stew, a rectangle for the scoreboard at the baseball game. All of the shapes and activities reflect Hispanic culture-stars are for parties and the celebration depicted is a fiesta. Round is a sombrero; squares are ventanas, or windows; and triangles are for chips and guacamole. Some of the shapes appear on two spreads, some have one, but all end with the refrain: "how many more... can you find?" The realistic illustrations feature lots of people of various ages. The paintings are colorful and lend a sense of movement and joy to the activities. The Spanish words are integral to the story but will be clear from context to non-Spanish speakers. This is a lovely book for teaching and sharing shapes within a culture or for just the concepts themselves. It is also a terrific title about family, fun, and sharing.--Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City

A girl discovers that shapes are everywhere in this companion to Round Is a Mooncake. Spanish vocabulary words are sprinkled throughout rhyming, reader-directed verse: "Stone metates inside our casa/ help us grind our corn to masa./ Rectangles are flags that fly/ above the scoreboard, way up high./ How many rectangles do you spy?" Parra's thick paintings have a rough, weathered wood-grain texture, and his figures--with their serene facial expressions and rosy cheeks--resemble Mexican folk-art dolls. Whimsical elements like a mermaid in the bay and celestial ornaments dangling from an avocado tree add pizzazz to this poetic ode to shapes. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Natalie Lakosil, Bradford Literary Agency. (Apr.)