Book Description
for ¡Vamos! Let's Go to the Market by Raúl the Third
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Using a comics format, Raúl the Third tells a story about Little Lobo and his trusty dog Bernabé delivering goods to the Mercado. The eclectic list includes shoe polish, clothespins, wood, tissue paper, paint brushes, and golden laces. Each item is put to use by the vendor who ordered it, while Little Lobo is given something in return for each delivery. All of the characters are anthropomorphized animals in the highly visual storytelling grounded in details of Mexican culture, and full of humor that will appeal to a wide age range. Many of the items in the Mercado are labeled in Spanish (defined in English in a glossary at book’s end). A subplot about a luchador named El Toro, who happens to be Little Lobo’s favorite, comes to satisfying conclusion for Little Lobo and readers alike (who did you think the golden laces were for?). The ink and Photoshop illustrations are full of energy and color. Young readers will want to return to the Mercado with Little Lobo again and again. (Ages 3–9)
CCBC Choices 2020. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2020. Used with permission.