With a fuming young girl on the cover, this bilingual picture book is sure to grab kids with the story of Clara, who just wants space and time for herself. She is tired of sharing with all her brothers and sisters, taking out the trash, and reading books for school. Desperate, Mami insists Clara see the curandera, who tells Clara to do more of everything: take out the neighbors' trash, share her fun toys with her siblings, read more books. And, surprise en Clara does all that, life is blissful. Then the curandera tells Clara she can stop. But does the new Clara want that? The clear, unframed pastel pictures with lots of red and brown show Clara sour-faced, furious, and distant from everyone, and kids will enjoy the sulking standoffs as much as the message that sharing and helping can make fun connections. As for Clara being forced to read, in a climactic scene the library is a joyful place where she can reach out for her dreams.

In Brown's latest bilingual offering, a grumpy little Latina girl gets a subtle lesson in caring, sharing and the pleasures of reading. Clara is tired of taking out the trash, sharing her things with her seven siblings and reading a book for school each week. Exasperated by her daughter's grumpiness, Mami sends the girl to the wise curandera (healer) in their building. The curandera tells Clara that she must take out her family's trash, along with the trash of two of her neighbors. She must also give her favorite toys to her siblings, and she must read five books that week. Unwilling to disobey, Clara follows the woman's orders, and readers will see the changes Clara misses. Her neighbors shower her with hugs and compliments for taking out their trash. Her brothers and sisters, amazed at their sister's generosity, invite Clara to play all week. At the library, she discovers books that she really wants to read. In fact, she stops frowning. When the curandera's assigned tasks end and Clara returns to her grumpy old self, she has just the epiphany the curandera knew she would. Well-translated Spanish text is set below the English text through most of the book, with Muriada's colorful mixed-media illustrations on the facing pages. A charming tale almost any child (and parent) can relate to. (Picture book. 4-7)

In this bilingual story, Clara is grumpy about her schoolwork, chores, and sharing toys with her siblings. Her mother sends her to a -curandera,- who instructs her to take out the neighbor-s trash, read five books for school instead of one, and give her toys to her brothers and sisters. Clara finds that her frown soon disappears. Muraida depicts Clara-s transformation with rich, celebratory pinks and blues, though her characters- faces can feel wooden. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)

PreS-Gr 3 Clara has a bad temper. She is irritated by the chores she's expected to do, having to share with her siblings, and the amount of schoolwork she faces. Her mom decides to send her to a very wise curandera for help. The healer prescribes an unusual treatment; she wants Clara to help her neighbors with their trash, give her toys to her siblings, and read five books instead of one. The girl dutifully does all these deeds and discovers that her neighbors are grateful, her siblings are nicer, and reading is in fact interesting. She learns an important lesson about sharing and feels good about helping others. The pictures are vivid, expressive, and warm. A charming read-aloud. Liliana Patricia Rocha, Teton County Library, Jackson Hole, WY