School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-2-At first glance, these beginning readers appear to be typical of the genre with pleasant stories, controlled vocabulary, lots of white space, and colorful illustrations. What makes them special are the extra features designed to enhance the reading experience: open-ended questions relating to the stories, activities with clear directions, photos of the authors and illustrators that personalize the books for young children, and tips for parents on raising readers. In Lucy's Quiet Book, a girl goes to the library when her six brothers get too noisy and, in Best Friends, two boys explore and play. Tomás Rivera is an inspiring biography of the Mexican-American author, while the other two titles are about ordinary childhood happenings. The pictures complement the stories; Rivera is illustrated with paintings that reflect the period while a more playful, cartoon style of art is used to convey the fun in the fiction. Solid additions for beginning reader collections.-Doris Losey, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library, Tampa, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
This sketchy book tells how Rivera's story-loving grandfather introduced him to the library, which inspired him to become a writer. The easy-reader format leaves too many questions--What books did he write? When did he live? Is he still alive?--and Medina doesn+t even have room to relay that he's Mexican-American. Martinez's thoughtful paintings seem ill-used here. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Gr. 1-2. This simple story recounts an incident from the childhood of Mexican American writer and educator Tomas Rivera and suggests its far-reaching effects on his life. After a day of hard work picking farm crops with his family in the 1940s, young Tomas enjoys hearing his grandfather tell stories. When Tomas confides that he wants to tell stories, too, Grandpa takes him to the library, and soon the boy begins writing stories of his own. When he becomes an adult, his stories are published and a library is named after him. Like other books in the Green Light Readers series (Level 2), this ends with a few questions based on the text, several activities, and information on the writer and illustrator. Medina's straightforward writing is enhanced by the warm depictions of Rivera and his family in the painterly illustrations. Though not a full biography, this short book provides a good introduction to Rivera for young children, particularly those who have heard of Texas State University's Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award. --Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2004 Booklist
