THONG, Roseanne Greenfield. Round Is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes. illus. by John Parra. 40p. glossary. Chronicle. Apr. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4521-0616-8.
PreS-Gr 2–This picture book in rhyme focuses on everyday things–a square for a park, a round pot of stew, a rectangle for the scoreboard at the baseball game. All of the shapes and activities reflect Hispanic culture–stars are for parties and the celebration depicted is a fiesta. Round is a sombrero; squares are ventanas, or windows; and triangles are for chips and guacamole. Some of the shapes appear on two spreads, some have one, but all end with the refrain: “how many more… can you find?” The realistic illustrations feature lots of people of various ages. The paintings are colorful and lend a sense of movement and joy to the activities. The Spanish words are integral to the story but will be clear from context to non-Spanish speakers. This is a lovely book for teaching and sharing shapes within a culture or for just the concepts themselves. It is also a terrific title about family, fun, and sharing.–Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City
Comment Policy: Your words are your own, so be nice and helpful if you can. We accept clean XHTML in comments, but don't overdo it and please limit the number of links submitted in your comment. For more info, see the full Terms of Use.