School Library Journal Starred Review (Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2021)

Gr 2-4 Lucia is a friendly young girl with a large family and a beautiful yellow house. In this book, she takes readers on a tour of each room in her home, su casa, explaining what happens there with her friends, family, and pets. In la cocina, her mother cooks yummy soups. In la sala, Lucia builds couch forts with her cousins, sus primos. The book itself is a friendly square shape, and Lucia is a happy narrator and guide in her bright blue rainbow shirt. Hoang's watercolor and colored pencil illustrations are cheerful and vibrant. On almost every page, characters of a variety of skin tones and dress smile, play, and dance. The Spanish words are naturally incorporated into the text, without italics or parenthetical translations; those unfamiliar with the vocabulary can use context clues from both the text and art to decode meaning. Sala's choice not to provide a glossary or translations helps show readers that Spanish isn't a separate language but one that fits perfectly alongside English in Lucia's homeand in other homes, too. VERDICT A must-buy. This book is perfect not only for bilingual readers but also for those seeking to connect more with another language.Chance Lee Joyner, Haverhill P.L., MA

ALA Booklist

Lucía lives in a yellow house with her large and loving family, and in Sala and Hoang's warm picture book, readers are invited to walk through her cozy home. We begin with the door, where her abuela likes to stand and say hello to the neighbors passing by, and as we explore the rest of her home, we begin to understand the importance of each room to Lucía and her family. The text is a combination of English and Spanish that forms a seamless Spanglish prose that many bilingual children will recognize. The multimedia illustrations are colorful and large, often taking up entire spreads, excellent for single or group readings. Hoang is effective in portraying a diverse extended family, and the sense of a close-knit home is ever present throughout the illustrations and text as Lucía walks us through each room. Sala and Hoang have created a book that celebrates home, family, and togetherness that will leave readers feeling right at home with Lucía.

Horn Book (Thu Oct 03 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

!Hi! Soy Lucia. Bienvenidos a mi casa. I live here with my big, loud, beautiful familia.

Kirkus Reviews

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)