Martinez-Neal's popular character Alma introduces her cozy home in this cheerful bilingual board book. Alma tells readers all about where she lives: she sleeps in her bedroom, cleans up in the bathroom, greets portraits in the hallway's picture frames, and enjoys storytime with her older brother before he departs for school. Then it's time for fun with Pajarito in her backyard. Alma's joyful perspective comes through in the straightforward, declarative sentences in Spanish and English, which introduce vocabulary about parts of a house, and the softly colored, warm artwork in predominantly buttery yellows and rosy pinks emphasizes the affectionate tone.

MARTINEZ-NEAL, Juana . Alma, Where Is Pajarito?/Alma, &1;D&3;nde est&5; Pajarito? ISBN 9781536232349 .ea vol: illus. by Juana Martinez-Neal. 24p. (Alma's Words). Candlewick . Oct. 2024. Board. $8.99. BL Baby-Toddler— Alma, the beloved protagonist of Alma and How She Got Her Name , welcomes readers to her home/casa. Short bilingual sentences showcase Alma's morning routine, from waking up to saying farewell to her brother as he heads out for school. Other daily practices, accompanied by sweet illustrations of her home, pajarito, and family, are incorporated, bringing warmth to this simple story. In Alma, Where Is Pajarito? &1;D&3;nde est&5; pajarito? , Mart&7;nez-Neal introduces readers to prepositions while Alma is in search of her bird friend. The playful text, layout, and close-up illustrations of Alma's quests in finding Pajarito around the house, will inspire little ones to play hide-and-seek and maybe want their own pet. VERDICT Young Alma fans will delight in these new offerings set in her world.— Sujei Lugo