After tasting Chinese food in a restaurant, Carlos decides to dig to where there's better food than his native New Mexico--surfacing, after weeks of digging, a few feet away. The story, written in English and Spanish, celebrates New Mexican foods, but the premise isn't fresh and the semi-absurd treatment just comes out as bizarre. Bright, stiff, acrylic folk paintings illustrate the book.

Carlos stars in his fifth book, Carlos Digs to China/Carlos excava hasta la China, in which the curious protagonist is inspired by a delectable meal at a Chinese restaurant to literally dig his way to the Asian country and attracts quite a crowd of spectators. English and Spanish texts appear on one side of each spread, and the illustrations opposite feature thick brushstrokes in festival-bright colors. Along the journey, the narrative mentions many Chinese and Mexican dishes, and a recipe for Arroz Dulce (Sweet Rice) closes the volume. ( Mar.)

K-Gr 2-In this fifth bilingual story about Carlos, the youngster learns that China is on the opposite side of the world from his home. After enjoying a buffet meal at a Chinese restaurant on a class trip, he decides to dig his way to the faraway country so he can enjoy all the tasty foods that this cuisine has to offer. Ignoring his neighbor's advice that "-the grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence," Carlos shovels for weeks, drawing the attention of not only his friends and neighbors but also the local newspaper. When he finally breaks through earth, he discovers that he has somehow dug a hole through to his next door neighbor's chile patch. While some readers may wonder why Carlos would want to dig to China when he could just return to the Chinese restaurant, the book features intergenerational characters and warm, colorful art. Full-page and spot-art acrylic paintings in earth tones detail the boy's progress and neighborhood's interest in his project. A recipe for a dish mentioned in the story is included. Consider this title for fans of the other "Carlos" titles (Rising Moon) and where bilingual books are in demand.-Diane Olivo-Posner, Long Beach Public Library, CA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.