My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero - ESSENTIAL

My Papi Has a Motorcycle  by Isabel Quintero, illustrated by Zeke Peña. PICTURE BOOK. Penguin Random House, 2019. $18. 9780525553410

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) – ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

A young girl excitedly greets her daddy home from work because now she gets to go on their nightly motorcycle ride. They ride past familiar stores and newly shuttered ones. They nod at their friends, dodge stray cats, and outrun neighborhood dogs. The smell of sawdust flying off her daddy’s clothes, the lemon tree in front of her abuelos’ old yellow house, the sounds and colors of the streets streaming by – all these things are a part of her, and always will be. After visiting her papi’s worksite and roaring around Grand Boulevard, the circular street that used to be a racetrack, they return home to mami, little brother, raspados (shaved ice), and the promise of flying again tomorrow. Things about town are always changing, but the love she feels at home is constant.

The author has written a love story to her hometown, to her papi, and to his electric blue motorcycle, and was kind enough to take us along for the ride. An author’s note clarifies her nod to the hard work of immigrants who have helped build this country. Depicting a joyous slice of life in an immigrant neighborhood, with Spanish words sprinkled throughout, this book will provide a world-expanding window for some students and an affirming mirror for others. The book gets a HIGH audience appeal rating due to its featured motorcycle, and the engaging speech bubbles sprinkled throughout the illustrations.

P.K. Foster, MLS, elementary school teacher-librarian