Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match / Marisol McDonald no combina [Hardcover]

Monica Brown (Author), Sara Palacios (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 27, 2011 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years | Lexile Measure: 580L (What's this?)

My name is Marisol McDonald, and I don t match. At least, that s what everyone tells me.

Marisol McDonald has flaming red hair and nut-brown skin. Polka dots and stripes are her favorite combination. She prefers peanut butter and jelly burritos in her lunch box. And don t even think of asking her to choose one or the other activity at recess—she ll just be a soccer playing pirate princess, thank you very much. To Marisol McDonald, these seemingly mismatched things make perfect sense together.

Unfortunately, they don t always make sense to everyone else. Other people wrinkle their nose in confusion at Marisol—can t she just be one or the other? Try as she might, in a world where everyone tries to put this biracial, Peruvian-Scottish-American girl into a box, Marisol McDonald doesn t match. And that s just fine with her.

A mestiza Peruvian American of European, Jewish, and Amerindian heritage, renowned author Monica Brown wrote this lively story to bring her own experience of being mismatched to life. Her buoyant prose is perfectly matched by Sara Palacios engaging acrylic illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Monica Brown, Ph.D., is the author of award-winning bilingual books for children, including My Name Is Celia: The Life of Celia Cruz/Me llamo Celia: La vida de Celia Cruz (Luna Rising), a recipient of the Américas Award for Children's Literature and a Pura Belpré Honor. Her latest book, Side by Side/Lado a Lado (HarperCollins) was nominated as an Outstanding Literary Work for Children in the NAACP Image Awards. She is a Professor of English at Northern Arizona University, specializing in U.S. Latino Literature and Multicultural Literature. She also writes and publishes scholarly work with a Latino/a focus and numerous scholarly articles and chapters on Latino/a literature and cultural studies. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Sara Palacios was born and raised in Mexico City. She holds degrees in Graphic Design, Illustration, and Digital Graphic Techniques from universities in Mexico, and is currently pursuing her MFA in Illustration at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. She has worked as a freelance illustrator for Santillana, McGraw-Hill, SM, and others. Sara divides her time between San Francisco, California, and Mexico City, Mexico.

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Children's Book Press; Bilingual edition (September 27, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892392355
• ISBN-13: 978-0892392353
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 0.4 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #82,288 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #64 in Books > Children's Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Language Learning > Spanish
  • #69 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Multicultural Stories > Hispanic & Latino

More About the Author

For more information, visit monicabrown.net

Monica Brown, Ph.D. is the author of many award-winning books for children, including Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People (Henry Holt), winner of the Américas Award for Children's Literature and an Orbis Pictus Honor for Outstanding Nonfiction, and Waiting for the Biblioburro (Random House), a Christopher Award winner. Her picture book Side by Side: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez/Lado a lado: La historia de Dolores Huerta y Cesar Chavez (Rayo/HarperCollins) was an NAACP Image Award nominee and Tejas Star Book Award finalist.

Monica's books are inspired by her Peruvian- American heritage and desire to share Latino/a stories with children. "I write from a place of deep passion, joy, and commitment to producing the highest possible quality of literature for children. In my biographies, the lives of my subjects are so interesting and transformational that I am simply giving them voice for a young audience. I don't think it is ever too early to introduce children to the concepts of magical realism, social justice, and dreaming big!"

Her other books include Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match/Marisol McDonald no combina (Lee & Low), winner of the International Latino Book Award and a Pura Belpré Honor for Illustration, Clara and the Curandera/Clara y la curandera (Piñata Books), Pelé, King of Soccer/Pelé, el rey del fútbol (Rayo/HarperCollins), and Chavela and the Magic Bubble (Clarion).

Monica Brown is a Professor of English at Northern Arizona University, specializing in U.S. Latino Literature and Multicultural Literature. She also writes and publishes scholarly work with a Latino/a focus, including Gang Nation: Delinquent Citizenship in Puerto Rican and Chicano and Chicana Literature; and numerous scholarly articles and chapters on Latino/a literature and cultural studies. She is a recipient of the prestigious Rockefeller Fellowship on Chicano Cultural Literacies from the Center for Chicano Studies at the University of California. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Marisol no combina pero es bueno December 18, 2011

By Debnance at Readerbuzz

Format:Hardcover

Marisol is different, everyone tells her. Marisol likes to wear polka dotted shirts and striped pants. Marisol has brown skin and red hair and freckles. Marisol likes to eat peanut butter and jelly on burritos. Marisol speaks Spanish and English. Marisol no combina; Marisol doesn't match.

I loved reading this book in Spanish to my bilingual children at school and seeing how many of them identify with Marisol. I identified with Marisol, too, growing up with a Catholic mom from a city in the North and a Baptist dad from the country in the South, always feeling like I don't match, but never really caring. I admired Marisol's courage in creating fun new ideas from tired old ones.

"My teacher, Ms. Apple, doesn't like the way I sign my name. `Marisol McDonald,' she says, `this doesn't match! At school we learn to print and use cursive, but not at the same time.'

But I like the way Marisol McDonald looks."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Different kind of AWESOME! April 30, 2013

By Samantha

Format:Hardcover

The cover of the book and title already makes the reader guess at what the story is going to be about and draws the reader right in. As soon as the story starts the reader can already tell that the story is about a little girl who is full of confidence and embraces her mixed heritage. This little girl loves that she is different from everyone else and enjoys that she is from different cultures. As the story goes on she gets teased and it puts her down but in the end she realizes she is unique and that is what makes her special even if it doesn't match what everyone else expects.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book March 17, 2013

By A. R. Chaverri

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

We love this book! The main character, Marisol is simply adorable and yet powerful! My children talk about Marisol as if she was their friend: when picking their clothes in the morning, when choosing breakfast, when deciding what game to play.

We are a bilingual family so this book is especially relevant to us, but I read this book at my daughter's preschool and both the children and the teachers loved it!

I also liked that the dog was adopted from a shelter instead of bought. What a great lesson for kids!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Two Thumbs Up November 25, 2012

By lynn08

Format:Hardcover

Marisol McDonald Does Not Match is such a great book. The illustrations in the book are so vibrant with shades of color with its on unique touch. The Story shows how one young girl named Marisol likes things that just do not really go together. She likes to dress in polka dots and stripes and she loves to eat peanut butter and jelly burritos. To Marisol all this things are normal but to her fellow classmates they are not. So when Marisol tries to be like everyone else one day she is asked by her art teacher why? Marisol then realizes she like being different. is book is a great story to read to children to show them that being different is not bad. It shows the readers that being yourself is much better then trying to be someone your not.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Being Unique May 20, 2012

By Heather (Davidson) Maneiro

Format:Hardcover

Marisol loves art, color, peanut butter and jelly burritos, and soccer playing pirates, so it is not a surprise when she names her new puppy - kitty. Marisol loves her life and her uniqueness until everyone keeps pointing out how she doesn't match. She wakes up one morning deciding to try to change and spend the day matching. When the art teacher asks her why - she realizes she doesn't really know. A beautiful note from the teacher helps Marisol realize that her uniqueness makes Marisol, Marisol.

What a positively inspiring book celebrating a child's uniqueness. A great story to share with students who are different - especially children from multi-racial backgrounds.

5.0 out of 5 stars Celebrate Who You Are May 28, 2013

By Reb

Format:Hardcover

Nowadays, more people are no longer clearly one culture or another but a mix of several cultures. Marisol McDonald is that combination of person; a Peruvian Scottish American girl. There will be many young readers who will relate to Marisol, yet are constantly being pressured to name their heritage. However, Marisol will be encouraging to them because she embraces her differences and celebrates the various cultures within her, as well as her individuality. The author's style of writing, along with the colorful illustrations comes together to make this book fun and engaging to young readers. This picture book received the Pura Belpre Award because of its excellence in Latino/Latina literature. It sets a good example for all young readers to find and embrace their own uniqueness.

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book on numerous levels December 12, 2012

By D. P.

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My daughters love this book! Marisol, the main character, is fun, spunky and easy to relate to. Her dilemma, being teased and corrected for her unique style, is pertinent for preschool and early elementary kids. The narrative arc works well. The book is not preachy nor does it take the criticism from others so far that it would make sensitive souls or super young children uncomfortable. It's very well written and the prose has a great child-like voice. And, on top of all this, the story is written in both English and Spanish. My daughter had been reluctant to engage with my attempts at introducing foreign languages until we started reading this book. She now loves for me to read it in both languages. Go Marisol!

5.0 out of 5 stars Mismatched November 28, 2012

By Amanda

Format:Hardcover

I adored reading this book. Marisol is such a spunky delightful child who doesn't like to match. She likes to wear polka dots and stripes. She eats peanut butter and jelly on her burrito, and she never chooses one things to be when playing games. Marisol does not match and that is perfectly fine with her, even if the other kids don't agree. I think this book is a great way to teach children that it's okay to be different. It's okay to like things that other's might not like and do what others might not want to do. As long as you enjoy it then what others think doesn't matter.