School Library Journal Starred Review (Wed May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

PreS-K —"Mam&5; dressed her panza in bright colors and flowers to show the world that she was blooming." And why is this beautifully round, gorgeously brown woman blossoming among the green succulent plants and peonies, strawberries, and chrysanthemums of Galvez's botanical-worthy scenes? She carries the small narrator, still growing in her belly, the first home, where it is safe. "I heard your heartbeat. The first place I held you, my little panza pal." On a lap where there is just enough room for this toddler-almost-preschooler among her soft and welcoming folds, she says that panza is another word for cradle. In a day of play, there is a celebration of luche libre, the flora of Mexico, snuggling, blue skies, and a summit so safe on Mount Mam&5; that a child can lay down and rest. Her panza has a spot for reading and for bedtime. The young children who listen to this story will find their own words for this thread through and winding round and binding mother and child: tummy, tum-tum, safety, love, nest. VERDICT Quintero's words speak to bonds of care, while the glorious illustrations sing of bodies round and safe. In this must-purchase, there is bounty of feeling, respect for physicality, touch, and sensation, wrapped in a picture book pocket.—Kimberly Olson Fakih

ALA Booklist (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

"Panza is another word for belly," explains this warm book, in which a boy ponders the love he and his mother share and how her panza plays a prominent role in that love. This body-positive book celebrates the wonder, love, and strength our bodies allow us to express. Scanned colored pencils with digital paint brushes result in bright illustrations, adding to the celebration. Radiant flowers, hearts, and little berries throughout the book add whimsy and convey happy playfulness. The precocious boy notices that his mom's panza is a soft place to land while wrestling, a hiding space when he's feeling shy, and a snuggly pillow as they share a bedtime story. Mamá explains to her son that his first home, his first cradle, was her panza, adding to her reasons for loving her panza. The mother's and son's facial expressions successfully convey love and tenderness. Mother and son present as Latinx; they have different hair and skin colors. Sporadic Spanish words emphasize the bicultural elements of the book.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

A child expresses appreciation for a favorite belly—their Mamá’s panza—in this tender, body-neutral telling. Though panzas can be “big, round, soft, or small and hard, or somewhere in between,” everyone has one, and the child narrator’s loves their mother’s best. It was the youth’s “first home” (“a big round garden” that communicated, “Here we are. Make some room. We’ve got growing to do”), and the scene of first communications between them. Now, Mamá’s panza is “a drum I like to play”—an action that precedes “my panza’s turn to be a drum,” and a loving game of chase between the two. Galvez’s uncomplicated digital illustrations render the duo, who cue as Latinx, amid blooming flower motifs in largely domestic scenes that underline the book’s comfortable interpersonal feel. A Spanish edition publishes simultaneously. Ages 3–7. (Mar.)