Mariane Rodriguez Dolce’s 2025 picture book is about growing up loved and bilingual. The young girl telling the story of her life moves smoothly, even seamlessly, from English to Spanish and back again, sometimes shifting in mid-sentence.
There’s no real conflict in this book, no tense narrative driving it. Instead, the girl shares her life in a welcoming embrace. Meanings of most of the words used in both languages are made obvious by illustration and context, but in a few cases, English-only readers may need a little research for clarification.
The lack of conflict (and growth) keeps this from being great, but it is a good and useful book: bilingual students and teachers who want to make them feel at home will definitely appreciate this, and Joe Cepeda’s illustrations are well-designed and full of color.
