  | Mama's magnificent dancing plantitas Author: Trejo, Jesus | |
| Price: $23.78 | ||
Summary:
When Jesus gets home after school, he has to fill the time until Mama can take him outside to play. It's tough, until Mama appoints him Chief Plant Officer--he'll be like a big brother to her precious houseplants! Jesus does an excellent job keeping them watered, entertained, and happy--until an unfortunate accident during a dance party throws Jesus's entire job into crisis mode! Companion to Papa's Magical Water-Jug Clock.
| Illustrator: | Kinkz, Eliza |
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: LG Reading Level: 2.90 Points: .5 Quiz: 552578 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (08/15/24)
School Library Journal (+) (08/16/24)
Booklist (09/01/24)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 08/16/2024 PreS-Gr 2—The same team behind Papá's Magical Water-Clock Jug has returned with this just as poignant and hilarious companion title. Single child Jesús is bored with no sibling to play with and tries to fill his time by "helping" his mother clean while she watches her novela. Mama entrusts him to look after her magnificent house plants. He is so excited to be a "big brother." The boy waters the plants, gives them "haircuts" tells them jokes, and holds a dance party to cheer up his mom's beloved Golden Pothos plant. When Jesús's exuberant dance moves result in a broken pot and spilled plant, the boy is devastated. Instead of disappointment and anger, his parents lovingly assure him that something positive can come from our mistakes and help us grow. Once again, Trejo's respect for his child audience and the pitch-perfect narrative will resonate with kids. Young readers will identify Jesús's logic—of, course a dance party is the pick-me-up that his plant siblings need. They will also giggle as he imagines the Pothos's plants funeral and frets about not having clothes to wear. Kinz's accompanying illustrations ground the humor of this tale, filling the family's home with Mexican American touchstones and charmingly complementing the comical text. The vivid images and bright palette, done with pencil, ink, watercolor, gouache, crayons, and a few drops of queso add to this pitch-perfect offering. VERDICT Another magnificent outing from this creative team, filled with the warmth of family and the laugh-inducing high jinks; this is for all picture book collections.—Shelley M. Diaz - Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 09/01/2024 Little Jesús, from the Pura Belpré Honor Book Papá’s Magical Water-Jug Clock (2023), returns for more entertaining shenanigans. This time, Jesús is put in charge of caring for Mamá’s beloved houseplants. As Chief Plant Officer, Jesús, who sees his caretaking role as similar to being a big brother, does his best to keep the plants watered and entertained. To help cheer up Mamá's favorite plant, the Golden Pothos, Jesús decides to put on some music and have a dance party. The fun stops when the Golden Pothos suddenly falls and breaks, and Jesús worries and stresses over the broken pot. Jesús refers to himself as a murderer at this point, which might miss the mark for the young intended audience and the otherwise lighthearted tone of the story. Mamá calmly offers up a new container, demonstrating that sometimes breaking things helps us grow. Illustrator Kinkz returns with vivid and engaging watercolor illustrations including lots of detailed plants with facial expressions and handwritten dialogue. Overall, a vibrant portrait of a mother-son bond that mostly delivers on its upbeat message. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.
