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MI CASA IS MY HOME by Laurenne Sala

MI CASA IS MY HOME

by Laurenne Sala ; illustrated by Zara González Hoang

Pub Date: Sept. 7th, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0943-3
Publisher: Candlewick

Little Lucía takes readers on a tour of the house where she lives with her “big, loud, beautiful familia.”

As Lucía moves from space to space, readers meet the many family members that live in or visit the house and all the activities and interactions they have. She enters through la puerta, from which Abuela waves at the neighbors, to la sala, where she makes forts out of sofa cushions with her cousins and the cousins of her cousins. From there, readers travel through la cocina, where on special holidays Abuelo cooks his masterpiece turkey “a la española,” and back outside to el patio, where “I turn the music muy muy alta para bailar y bailar y bailar.” In el baño, “Abuela says, “Sana sana colita de rana!” as she tends to Lucía’s scraped knee. Then there’s el cuarto de mis hermanos, where she sometimes sneaks in “when I need un abrazo extra” from her brothers. She ends the tour at “mi habitación,” which has a bright sign on the door: LUCÍA’S ROOM! This sweet family story will be best enjoyed by readers who speak both Spanish and English, as Lucía uses Spanglish, seamlessly moving back and forth between the two languages. The accompanying illustrations have a charming childlike feel that complements Lucía’s cheer and provides visual context for readers who don’t speak Spanish. Lucía’s family members represents the Latinx community’s racial diversity.

A warm family account that will ring true with many Latinx children.

(Picture book. 4-6)