What Can You Do with a Paleta? [Hardcover]

Carmen Tafolla (Author), Magaly Morales (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: April 14, 2009 | Age Range: 3 - 7 years

Where the paleta wagon rings its tinkly belland carries a treasure of icy paletasin every color of the sarape . . .

As she strolls through her barrio, a young girl introduces readers to the frozen, fruit-flavored treat that thrills Mexican and Mexican-American children. Create a masterpiece, make tough choices (strawberry or coconut?), or cool off on a warm summer's day--there's so much to do with a paleta.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In any Latino barrio, the highlight of a summer afternoon filled with the sweet and savory smells of flowers and crispy tacos is the arrival of the paleta vendor with his deliciously cool fruit popsicles. Made in a variety of flavors and colors, the paleta can be the inspiration for fun and creativity with old and new friends. Purple tongues, blue mustaches, a palette of swirly, drippy art--all are second to the real enjoyment of a paleta: "to.../ lick it and slurp it / and sip it and munch it / and gobble it all down." Tafolla's English text sprinkles easily recognizable Spanish words throughout, creating a parallel to the Anglo neighborhood ice-cream truck in a very Latin setting. Morales's ethnically detailed acrylic paintings in earthen tones against primary colors help to identify the key Spanish words and augment the circular story pattern, in which the introductory verses repeat in the final pages. A simultaneous dual-language edition presents a parallel Spanish translation that accompanies the English text." --Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2009

From the Publisher

* Second book in series that introduces children to Mexican-American culture.
* Great addition to El día de los niños/El día de los libros collections.
* English-Spanish bilingual hardcover edition also available.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 3 - 7 years
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Tricycle Press (April 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582462216
• ISBN-13: 978-1582462219
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.4 x 10.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #440,359 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #48 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Explore the World > Mexico

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Yummy! December 6, 2010

By blue_eyes_rinoa

Format:Hardcover

"What Can You Do with a Paleta?" is a cute picture book all about Paletas. A yummy ice treat from mexico, that you can do so much with than eat. The two main characters tell us all about Paletas, their favorite treat, and of all the things that you can do with yours. You can share it, color with it, and of course you can eat it. This book is great. A fun book to read and learn about paletas. This would be a wonderful reading for young children, mainly those children living in San Antonio or areas in which there is much Mexican culture influence. The pictures are bright and very colorful. The drawings are probably my favorite part of this book, and the story itself is a fun read, and easy to follow.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What CAN'T you do with a paleta?! December 4, 2010

By cueros literature

Format:Hardcover

This is a very fun and easy read for children. Although I am not a native spanish-speaker, this book made it very simple to learn and read spanish words through recognition and context. The book is intended for a latin-american child or children who transition through english to spanish daily. In this book, we follow two characters, in which one character gives a tour of the barrio (neighborhood). In doing this, we learn simple spanish words and can enjoy the festivities and importance of community. The illustrations use bright colors which are complimentary to the hispanic tradition, as well as depicting the barrio setting, which many are familiar with but some may not know about. We learn all about how the paleta is a sweet, juicy popscicle treat which is the star of the barrio on a hot summers day. There are so many things to do with a paleta, and I didn't even know what it was before reading this book! Thank you, Tafolla for teaching me a little spanish and a lot of culture in this fun and vibrant children's book!

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun and Cultured May 1, 2013

By Amy Snyder

Format:Hardcover

This book vivid color's and playful images are sure to be a good read for any storytelling time. Including a lot of cultural references, this books takes audiences through the characters day in her barrio (community). Through the playful imagery and word choice, readers truly experience the story and learn about another culture. The colors in the illustrations are bright and jumpy, promised to capture children's attention throughout the book. The font of the words is a curvy and fun print, with the Spanish words italicized. This gives children the opportunity to not only enjoy a fun book but learn a few new Spanish words and about a culture that is different from their own. I would recommend this book to anyone who plans to use it for a younger audience looking for a bright and playful way to learn a few things about a new culture.