Starred Review This bilingual beginning reader by Laínez (Mamá the Alien / Mamá la extraterrestre, 2016) contains a perfect blend of Spanish and English. In it, two brown-skinned boys named Joe and José meet in their classroom and become friends while painting. The fact that Joe speaks only English and José speaks only Spanish doesn't get in their way, and it provides a clever means of presenting the text in both languages. Using speech-bubble dialogue, each boy says the same sentence in his own language to the other, allowing it to become a conversation rather than a translation. For instance, Joe inspects José's painting and says, "I like your blue sky." José, in turn, looks at Joe's easel and declares, "Me gusta tu cielo azul." Laínez's bilingual teaching background shows through in this well-constructed story, and the simple text works for those learning either language. Perez's crisp digital illustrations are big and vibrant and effortlessly support the story. Key words in English-Spanish pairs are reviewed at the end. A fantastic addition to any early childhood classroom.

Two boys, an English speaker and a Spanish speaker, form a friendship as they paint together at school.Joe and José are all smiles from the second they first meet in their cheerful yellow classroom, invitingly equipped with easels, art supplies, and boxes full of toys and musical instruments. A female teacher warmly beams at the boys as they introduce themselves to each other. José, who presents as Latinx, and Joe, whose ethnicity is ambiguous, first decide to paint the sun and the sky. The winsome pair then propose and agree on additional ideas-such as mixing primary colors together to create new colors-before ultimately deciding to be friends. The story is sweet and bright, with the boys constantly and excitedly complimenting each other's artwork; however, the plot lacks substance and punch. Joe speaks only in English, and José speaks only in Spanish, their words and actions exactly mirroring each other ("I have an idea! / ¡Tengo una idea!"), making it easy for young readers to build vocabulary in both languages.A joyful story gently highlighting the power of art to connect communities and individuals. (Spanish-English glossary) (Picture book. 3-7)

LAÍNEZ, René Colato . We Play Soccer . Jan. 2022. ISBN 9780823445066 . ea vol: 40p. Holiday House . Tr. $18.99. PreS-Gr 2 Let's Be Friends and We Play Soccer offer bilingual stories for the very young or for those new to the Spanish/English language. Although Joe speaks English and Jose speaks Spanish, the language barrier does not keep these two kindergartners from becoming friends. Each time Joe speaks, Jose replies by saying the same phrase in Spanish. In Let's Be Friends, the boys learn to share paints as they create beautiful pictures during class. Joe says, "Let's paint," and Jose replies, "Pintemos." In We Play Soccer, the boys learn teamwork as they work together to help their team score the winning goal. Joe says, "Our team is losing," and Jose responds with, "Nuestro equipo esta perdiendo." Colorful artwork and detailed pictures keep readers engaged. VERDICT Both books offer a simple story with delightful characters for beginning readers or those learning a new language. Martha Rico