Review: My Family Adventure by Jacqueline Jules

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Little Sofia Martinez has a big personality and big plans, which makes every day memorable. Between her sisters and cousins, her family is the focus of her many adventures. From taking school pictures to doing chores, this 7-year-old knows how to make every moment count. Sofia loves her family and loves her life. What could be better?

MY TAKE:
This is probably the first children's book I've read that includes Spanish words and sentences as natural part of the conversation between characters.

In My Family Adventure, we meet Sofia Martinez, the youngest of three sisters. The book contains three stories: Picture Perfect, Abuela's Present, and The Missing Mouse.

Since this book is meant for young readers (K-2), the stories are short and relatively simple, narrative-wise, In Picture Perfect, Sofia wants her picture on the family piano to stand out from that of her sisters' and she comes up with a plan to do just that on Picture Day. In Abuela's Present, Sofia and her cousins try to create a piñata for her grandmother's birthday. Finally, in The Missing Mouse, Sofia offers to take care of a mouse for her mother's piano student, but the mouse runs away so now she and her sisters must find it.

The stories aren't really funny, but they're cute and entertaining. Young readers will have no problem getting through them, as they're fast-paced and easy-to-understand.

The font is large, as you would expect for books aimed at this age range. The Spanish phrases and words are pink in color, for emphasis, so kids know right away that if they don't recognize the word, it's because it's in English. For those who don't speak Spanish, there's a Spanish glossary at the end of the book.

I really liked the illustrations in the book. The colors are vibrant and the shading is terrific. I can imagine this book as a Disney Channel cartoon.

Thanks to NetGalley and Picture Window Books for the e-ARC.

THE GOOD:

1. Sofia is charming.
2. Kids can learn Spanish words and sentences.
3. The stories are entertaining.

THE BAD:

1. If you don't understand Spanish, looking up the meanings while reading can be distracting. 

READ IT IF:

1. You want your child to learn Spanish.
2. Your daughter wants to start reading books on her own.
3. Your child has a close relationship with her extended family.

RATING:


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