EL BARRIO

In the barrio lives a boy whose sister is getting ready for her quinceañera. Using the coming-of-age festival for its narrative structure, the book is really a celebration of Latino culture and life in the city, Chocolate’s minimal text giving the boy voice as he describes his home: “El barrio is silver-streaked tenements, / neon city streets, / storefront churches, / and bodegas that never sleep.” The vibrant illustrations combine woodcuts, painting and collage, all seemingly jumbled together in a riotous blend of color and texture. Depictions of other Latino celebrations and sprinklings of Spanish words add to the beautiful chaos of the illustrations. A collage frame composed of such material as beads, pebbles or tile surrounds each page, informing the composition of the interior image. Color, action and feeling are of utmost importance here and together create a dazzling, flamboyant impression of urban Latino life, bringing Diaz’s work to a whole new level. A glossary gives phonetic pronunciations of Spanish words used in the text as well as defining those words. Highly recommended for all collections. (Picture book. 4-8)