ALA Booklist (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Sasparillo the armadillo wonders where he is and how he fits into the scheme of things. He hikes from San Antonio to Austin, from Abilene to Lubbock, in woodlands, through canyons, and across prairies, to Amarillo. There he talks a passing eagle into carrying him upward for a better view. They fly up until the atmosphere thins, then hitch a ride on the space shuttle and view earth from space. Returning home, Sasparillo rejoices that at last he knows where he really is. Teachers exploring the where am I concept will appreciate the increasingly distant views of city, area, state, continent, planet, and solar system. Dedicating the book to Dr. Seuss, Cherry flatters him with an imitation of his evidently inimitable verse. The text is too long, the order of words is sometimes contorted to meet the needs of the rhyme scheme, and internal rhymes are occasionally thrown in, possibly in hopes that more is more. On the other hand, the illustrations are appealing and effective: detailed ink drawings brightened with watercolor washes that celebrate the cityscapes and landscapes of Texas and, eventually, the earth itself. A must-have for Texas libraries and an attractive addition to other collections. (Reviewed Mar. 1, 1994)

Horn Book (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Cherry's meticulous and lavish illustrations are worth poring over but do not save the confusing and somewhat stilted text. The book's concept--our geographical place in the universe--is an admirable one, but the pairing of a curious armadillo with a high-flying golden eagle is as awkward as the rhyming text.

Kirkus Reviews (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

With thanks, in her dedication, to Dr. Seuss, Cherry pens a fanciful verse account of an armadillo's journey through Texas and into outer space. Bearing a hobo's bandanna-wrapped pack and sending frequent postcards (inset in the full-bleed art) to his cousin Brillo at the Philadelphia Zoo, ``Sasparillo'' leaves a gorgeous field of bluebonnets and travels to San Antonio, explores cross-country to Austin, then, with the help of a friendly eagle, flies over Amarillo and the plains and—hooking up with a rocket that's just been launched from Cape Canaveral- -out into space for a very special view before returning home. Cherry's limping doggerel is a far cry from Seuss's, but her meticulously detailed art is enchanting; she imbues the vistas the little traveler enjoys with a contagious enthusiasm for their beauty and variety and the many kinds of life inhabiting them. A note distinguishes the carefully researched facts in the art from the fiction concerning the appealing animal observer. (Picture book. 5-9)"

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

This armadillo's-eye exploration of Texan terrain (and beyond, into outer space) is noteworthy for the art, which, said PW, """"does full justice to the country through which [the hero] roams."""" Ages 5-9. (May)

School Library Journal (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

K-Gr 3-Spectacular watercolor and oil-pastel renditions of Texas scenes combine with the rhymed-verse explorations of a curious armadillo to form an excellent map-skills book for beginners. Sasparillo Armadillo decides to explore his native state, and travels from San Antonio to Amarillo. He's still not sure where in the world he is, so he catches a ride on the back of a golden eagle and eventually boards the space shuttle for an even larger perspective. Cherry's love for the environment, shown in The Great Kapok Tree (1990) and A River Ran Wild (1992, both Harcourt), is evident in this book as well. Fields of bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes sprawl across borderless, two-page spreads, giving credence to the grandeur of the countryside. Indigenous plants, animals (some endangered), and unique geographical formations are introduced via inset postcards that Sasparillo sends to his cousin Brillo in Philadelphia. An author's note is packed with more cultural, historical, and scientific information, disclaiming some of the fantasy elements but assuring readers that ``the geographical information in the text is accurate.'' An ecological jewel that sparkles with multifaceted spin-off possibilities.- Claudia Cooper, Ft. Stockton Independent School District, TX