Gr 2-5 After escaping from his cage, Perico, a parrot, sees his family preparing for a Cinco de Mayo celebration and wants to be part of the excitement. He volunteers to help make tamales, reciting a line he learned from little Martita: "Let me help! Let me help!" His offers are repeatedly brushed away by family members as they make paper flowers and pan dulce and practice their trumpets. Discouraged, Perico follows the family's barge and watches as its topmost decoration hits a bridge and falls into the San Antonio River. At that moment, he perches atop the barge and saves the day as only he can. The vibrant and festive colors used throughout invite readers into the celebration, and the images are true to the people they portray. The bilingual text is fluid in both Spanish and English, and the subject is sure to spark interest in the holiday. With this story, Ada reminds children that good intentions are the best help that anyone can offer. Roberto Zapata, San Antonio Public Library, TX

Like a young child eager to help, Perico, the parrot, is excited about the upcoming Cinco de Mayo preparations and repeatedly cries, "Let me help! / Quiero ayudar !"—a phrase learned from his family's youngest child, Martita. So whatever the activity—as Abuela and Tia Lupe make tamales, Elena and mother fashion paper flowers, Lupita and Carmen prepare for the folklorico dance, Antonio and Francisco practice their mariachi piece and Don Martin bakes pan dulce —Perico's offer to help is either ignored or actively rebuffed by the very busy family. What can a parrot really do to help? Once the celebration begins, Perico flies across the city watching the festivities, and when his family's extravagantly decorated barge loses its top-most decoration as it passes under the bridge, Perico perches on top with wings spread wide to replace the fallen flowers as the barge continues elegantly down the river. Dominguez's vigorous paint strokes in bold aquas, greens and blues that stand out against the dusty backdrop vibrantly complement this bilingually told story about the Latino fiesta. (Picture book. 4-6)