Somos adoptados. (We Are Adopted)

By staff -- Críticas, 12/15/2007

REVIEWED WITH:
Tengo asma.
(I Have Asthma)
Moore-Mallinos, Jennifer.
illus. by Rosa M. Curto. U.S.: Barron’s (Qué sabes acerca de...). 2007. 36p. ISBN 978-0-7641-3786-0. pap. $6.99.

K-Gr 2–These titles in the What Do You Know About? series present information in a format that is just right for the intended audience: accessible, brief text accompanied by prominent cartoon-like illustrations. In the first title, a young girl recalls the day she was waiting in the airport for her parents and her younger brother who, like her, was adopted from Russia. As she waits for six-month-old Mijail, she lists the many things she knows about her birthplace, including songs, food, and language. The youngster also points out the differences and similarities between herself and her parents (“I don’t have blue eyes like my mom [...], but I am good at math just like she is”) and explains why her birth mother in Russia decided to give her up for adoption (“She could not take care of me, but she loved me so much that she wanted me to be with a loving family.”). In I Have Asthma, a boy discovers he has the condition after an attack while playing soccer. He recalls how his parents rushed him to the hospital and how the doctor examined him, and he also explains what it means to have asthma. When the young protagonist goes back to the soccer field, he is relieved to learn that the fastest player in his team has asthma, too. Curto’s illustrations are a nice complement to the simple, straightforward narratives, and young readers dealing with one or both of these issues will definitely benefit from these titles, which include sections with suggested activities and a guide for parents. Highly recommended for larger Spanish collections.—Roxanne Landin, Fremont Area District Library, Fremont, MI