(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Maya Gonzalez. Brimner (Finding a Way Home, rev. 1/21) narrates the events leading to the first successful school desegregation case, Roberto Alvarez v. the Board of Trustees of the Lemon Grove School District. In 1931, Mexican American parents in Lemon Grove, near San Diego, California, organized the Comité de Vecinos de Lemon Grove to resist the creation of the Olive Street School, a subpar school for Mexican American children. Brimner documents the machinations of Lemon Grove's white parents, teachers, and school district board members who, through secret meetings held months earlier, "voted to construct a separate school for children like Roberto and his friends." Gonzalez's double-page acrylic paintings enhance the narrative, particularly in this scene. Five primly dressed figures--the illustration shows them cut off at the shoulders to emphasize their ­impersonality--sit behind a table drafting the paperwork that accuses Mexican children of bad hygiene, of lacking English, and of holding back the white students. Gonzalez renders the Mexican American parents and students of the Comité with round brown faces, a signature of her aesthetic (My Colors, My World; Family Poems for Every Day of the Week, rev. 1/18; and others). An author's note, archival photos, and a bibliography append this work, which would pair well with Christy Hale's All Equal: A Ballad of Lemon Grove (rev. 11/19) and Duncan Tonatiuh's book about a similar case, Separate Is Never Equal: ­Sylvia Mendez & Her Family's Fight for Desegregation (rev. 7/14).

Reviewer: Lettycia Terrones | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez. Alarcón uses simple, richly descriptive verse (printed in Spanish and English) to explain the origins of the days of the week while celebrating a Latino family's traditions. Gonzalez's full-bleed double-page-spread illustrations, in watercolor, gouache, and acrylic marker, pay tribute to "Mexico's indigenous crafts." An illustrator's note reveals Alarcón died in 2016 but adds that his unique way of portraying the Latino experience through poetry will live on. Bib.

Reviewer: Alma Ramos-McDermott | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2018

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez. This bilingual colection includes twenty-six poems about the animals of the Iguazú National Park in Argentina. The precise language and deep-hued illustrations create a sense of wonder about the jungle's "untamed living spirit." The pieces may also inspire young people to think about endangered species.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez. After her husband, Tata, dies, Nana moves from Mexico to California to live with her extended family. Nana tries to forget her sorrows as she helps her grandchildren raise chickens, but no eggs are forthcoming. They finally realize that the chickens are roosters. Pérez's bilingual text is sweet but not too sappy. Gonzalez's inventive collages incorporate contemporary touches within her folk-art style.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez & Maya Christina Gonzalez. These retellings of Mexican folktales feature a broad range of strong female protagonists, including the legendary Virgin of Guadalupe; the goddess Tangu Yuh; and the rebellious Blancaflor, daughter of the Devil. The Spanish text is fluid, and the acrylic illustrations are appropriately Kahloesque. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Ana Maria Muniz-Leen

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez. Through Amada's diary entries, presented in a bilingual text, readers learn that her father has lost his job, so she and her family are moving from Mexico to Los Angeles. The narrative, based on the author's own experience, follows a predictable arc but is affecting nevertheless. Gonzalez's breathtaking illustrations blaze with color and capture the hilariously mundane details of life, such as the antics of Amada's unruly brothers.

Reviewer: Nell Beram | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2002

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez. Stories such as "Malintzin of the Mountain," "The Virgin of Guadalupe," and "Blancaflor" show the variety and richness of Mexican folklore about women. The retellings, each featuring a strong or clever heroine, flow smoothly, and the text is generously decorated with banners and full-page folk-art-style illustrations in strong, earthy colors. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez. This collection of poems in Spanish and English celebrates not only winter but also the region of northern California where Alarcón lives. While the poems are clearly tied to a specific landscape, they also evoke the universal joys of the season. Gonzalez's illustrations capture the jubilant spirit of the bilingual poems, and children will enjoy hunting for the iguanas hidden throughout.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez. As the oldest and only girl in her family, the determined narrator not only dreams of having her own room, she finds a way to make it happen. With her mother's permission and her four brothers' help, she transforms a storage closet into a small bedroom. The bilingual first-person text realistically portrays a child who takes charge and makes changes. The art's curved lines and warm colors add to the sense of family unity and security.

Reviewer: Kathleen T. Horning | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2000

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez. Alarcón and González team up again to offer a third bilingual collection of illustrated seasonal poems. Fall in Los Angeles is warm with family life and optimistic messages ("yes, you can do it!"). Some poems, such as "First Day of School," display the poignancy and grace that have won Alarcón praise, but others are not as successful. González illustrates fall with colorful joy.

Reviewer: Elena Abos Alvarez-Buiza

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez. In twenty-two poems, each presented in Spanish and English, Alarc_n evokes his childhood summer vacations in Mexico. Memories of both people and landscape are sprinkled with vivid images, such as that of the "Summer Sun": "luminous / orange / hanging / from the tree / of noontime." The joyful illustrations add an almost tactile quality to this truly bilingual collection.

Reviewer: Elena Abos Alvarez-Buiza