VÁMONOS

A trip to the library via various forms of transportation.

This is one extraordinary picture-book journey to the library: by boat, by plane, even on a skateboard. Clear, simple side-by-side sentences in English and Spanish make for a digestible text for young readers of either language and even adults with a basic handle on each. What really makes this book worth picking up, however, are Piron’s photographs of wooden sculptures carved by Oaxacan craftsmen Melchor, Cruz, Pérez, and Santiago. Many spreads appear to show the same sculpture shot from two different angles, allowing the craftsmanship to be fully appreciated. Beyond the incredibly intricate carvings, the detailed paint work shows everything from titles on book spines to individual spots on dogs to the fine-line, rich floral patterns of these folk-art pieces. Readers are exposed to many different types of transportation aside from the more obvious car and bus, like the horse cart and the pedicab. The artisans depict the library as a destination for community and story, one worth traveling to by almost every mode of transportation. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Gorgeous, unique art makes this an illustrative standout.