Tarde de invierno. (Winter Afternoon)

By staff -- Críticas, 9/15/2006

PreS-Gr 2–A mother comes home to her young daughter on a winter night. Nothing more happens in this book of quiet beauty. Luján has composed a poem that moves through the ever-smaller frames of a child's world—the frosted pane of the street-side window and the approaching mother—until she enters the house and hugs the girl. In this hug, the pair goes flying through a summer night in an illustrated fantasy of their love. Sadat accompanies the spare but heartfelt text with joyful, mixed-media illustrations that evoke a child's perspective while employing sophisticated compositions that design-savvy adults and playful children will enjoy. The book is carefully executed and earnest in depicting the little girl's patience and her joy at the reunion. The pace of the story pairs well with the continual movement through different frames, which conveys the anticipation of the girl and builds interest in the readers. This book is highly recommended for libraries and bookstores.—Verónica E. Betancourt, Silver Spring, MD