Customer Reviews

Papa and Me

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A young boy calls out to his Papá, goes into his room and shakes him awake because it's time to get up and prepare for their day together. Papá leans over, hugs his son and they begin to sing to each other, "Cantemos, cantemos." They smile and laugh while pancakes and eggs are being cooked up in the fry pan. Flip, flip! After breakfast they tightly hold hands and are off for the day's adventure at the park. There are so many things to do in a park, but the first thing he has to do is imagine the whale and jump in a puddle. Of course Papá is more sensible and "steps around them."

Papá calls him "Agua Man" (water man) as he lifts him over another puddle. In his mind he is a flying agua man with a cape. They laugh and smile as they play. The little boy gets a boost up into a tree and imagines that he is flying. He spreads his arms out, but his Papá insists that he be careful. "Cuidado." He sees an imaginary bird in the clouds, but his Papá cannot see it. Very soon it is time to go home. There will be some other very special people waiting for them. Can you guess who it could be?

This is a beautiful story about the love between a father and son. Love, as we see it in this book, doesn't have to be spoken, but is rather felt while parents and children spend time together. The father in this book only speaks Spanish, but his young son is bilingual. The vibrant, colorful, swirling artwork is gorgeous and very appealing. There are no translations for the Spanish words, but they are easy to deduce from the text. This is a Pura Belpré Honor Book that any father and son would be proud to add to their shelves!

Dorros, Arthur. Papa and Me. Pictures by Rudy Gutierrez. HarperCollinsPublishers. 2008.

A father and his son spend time together, preparing breakfast, riding a bus, visiting a park, and then going to visit his grandparents. A few Spanish words are included and explained within the text, "Good morning! I call to Papa. Buenos dias, Papa says back to me". The lovely illustrations glow with warmth and brilliant color. The artist plays with perspective, adding palpable movement, and the stylized and elongated shapes and figures lend depth of feeling to an otherwise very simple and brief text: the father bends over his son, one arm clasped around him as they sing together; the son rests one hand on his father's neck. Another illustration shows the father looking both loving and concerned as his son sits on a tree branch, his arms outstretched like he was flying. This is a wonderful tribute to a loving relationship between a father and son. The end papers are sky blue and highlight the bilingual words used in the story. A pronunciation guide would have been a helpful addition.

The book "Papa and Me" is a story about a day in the life of a little boy and his father and the things they do. In the story the little boy is almost in a competition with his father has they go through their day. I can remember being with my dad when I was younger and trying to outdo him in vain but the bonding is what sticks out in my mind. The pictures are wonderfully drawn and painted and go with the text well.

Papa and Me is a wonderful story about a young boy and his father spending the day together. It shows them going all over town and showing the great bond between a son and his father. One of the things I really enjoyed about this story was that it was in English and Spanish. The author did a great job because he put the Spanish word, and then would repeat the word in English. Reading this to young children would help them learn both languages.

What does a boy desire? The love and attention of his father. This is a simple book about a day in the life of a boy and his father. It highlights how important the role of the father is in molding and shaping young children. This book is sure to touch the lives of parents reading it and children hearing the story. The artwork is vibrant and grabs the attention of the children. Jack was so thrilled he tried to eat the book.

Papa and Me introduces children to Spanish and English writing together. The book repeats phrases said in English with coinciding phrases in Spanish. This is a great way to bring these two languages together in a non-intrusive way and teach the opposite language phrases of the other.
The pictures in Papa and Me are vibrant and engulf the whole page with many colors and patterns.
This is a good book that will introduce children into the Spanish art, language and culture by reading it.