Papá and Me

Papá and Me
By: Arthur Dorros
Pictures by: Rudy Gutierrez
Copyright: 2008
Pages: 32
Reading Level: 4-8

This book won the Pura Belpre Honor Book Award, so I picked it up knowing it would be good. This is a story about a father and son, who spend the whole day together. This book has illustrations that are stunning, the images flow together into a masterpiece. The neat thing about this book is that there is both Spanish and English. That they speak to each other, and unlike the Dora the Explorer, it isn't obvious what each phrase or word means, but it is explained within the story. The story starts with the boy saying "Good morning", and the papa saying back "Buenos días", they get up and make there own breakfast creation of pancakes and eggs together. They then go to the park and splash in puddles, and the Papá calls him "Agua Man." Then then climb trees, draw in the sand, and then race back home. They are greeted with big hugs at the door from his Abuela and Abuelo, or Grandma and Grandpa.

Recommend to: Everyone, everyone could use a little knowledge of Spanish, and its a proven fact that children can pick up languages easier than adults. But this would be extra special for a father and son.
Problems: The problem I thought some parents might have, is the story never talks about a mother, and leads you to assume the parents are either divorced or the mother is gone. The father also has an ear ring, which might be controversial with some people.
My reaction: I was amazed by the illustrations, and took a while to take in the complete image. The story was simple and easy to follow, and I think that was necessary with such a book. The story hasn't been my favorite but I can see why It won the award.