Mi papi tiene una moto
(Book)

Sonia Alejandra Rodríguez Copyright 2019 Booklist

Quinteros picture-book text acts as an evocative love letter to her ap and to the interconnected web of Mexican immigrant working-class people who built her hometown of Corona, California. When Papi gets home from work, young Daisy jumps into his arms for a hug (the warmth of his body language expressing all the love he has trouble saying), then grabs their helmets, eager to zoom through their neighborhood on Papis speedy blue motorcycle before the sun goes down. Peas joyous digital and hand-painted watercolor illustrations capture the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and redbluegreenorangepink colors of the town. They observe the communitys many people and institutions that contribute to the well-being and harmony of everyone and everything [Daisy and Papi] pass on their motorcycle ride. Theres Abuelito and Abuelitas yellow house with the lemon tree and the nopales; murals that tell our history; theres Mr. Garca, the librarian in the Dodgers cap, with whom they exchange nods (this is how we always greet each other); and the raspados man. All of thisplus the texts nuanced alliteration, its use of Spanglish, and the realistic linguistic mix in the illustrations (even the cat says both meow and miau)marks the quotidian specificity shaping Daisys memory-making as well as her loving reflections on Coronas unfolding changes, its history and future. An appended authors note tells more about Quinteros inspiration. Concurrently published in Spanish as Mi papi tiene una moto. lettycia terrones (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

*Starred Review* Grades K-3. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews.

When Papi gets home from work in his gray truck, his daughter is ready for their ritual, a nightly motorcycle ride: "I run outside with both of our helmets." Together, they zip through their California city, passing the market, the church, and murals that show "our history—of citrus groves and the immigrants who worked them." The landscape is changing: Papi and his fellow carpenters are building new houses where the groves once stood, and the shaved ice shop has gone out of business. Quintero and Peña, the team behind Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide, conjure up the ride's sights and sounds with sensory immediacy—the girl grasps her father's sawdusty shirt, sun-bleached pinks and oranges convey the lingering heat of evening, and stray cats run in front of the rumbling bike as neighborhood sounds reach the riders. Fresh graphic novel style art offers all the glory of a ride ("VROOOM"), and speech in balloons is a mix of Spanish and English alongside the English-only text. The love between the girl and her father is palpable, but her connection to her city (fleshed out in an author's note about Corona, Calif.) is at the story's heart. Ages 4–8. (May)

K-Gr 2—A radiant ode to a young girl's father and her L.A. neighborhood. Every evening, Daisy and her papi snap on their helmets (hers is purple with a unicorn, his a black vintage variety) and begin their ride on his electric blue motorcycle through Corona, CA. At times they "roar past" taquerias and murals, and other times they "cruise," greeting family and neighbors as they pass by. All the while, Daisy absorbs the sights, sounds, and smells of her beloved hometown, imprinting its idiosyncrasies into memory. Daisy's experiences mirror Quintero's childhood memories, recounted through tender language and vivid sensory details. Recalling the motorcycle rides with her papi is an exercise in familial love, but also a way to honor a hometown and present the changes from gentrification. Although the topic is touched upon lightly, its complexity percolates and becomes much more vivid with multiple reads. The illustrations faithfully capture the merriment and love through careful details and a low-key color palette that alludes to warm memories being made and recollected. Peña makes felicitous use of his comics chops, incorporating speech balloons with Spanish phrases, onomatopoeia, and panels to convey movement. Quintero's writing and Peña's art coalesce most beautifully in the infectious look of joy on Daisy's face throughout. VERDICT A book that radiates sheer happiness without shying from reality. Highly recommended for all libraries.—Jessica Agudelo, New York Public Library