Publishers Weekly
10/09/2023
A lovesick parrot seeking to woo an assertive cat kicks off this cumulative Caribbean retelling of a classic folktale. When Pepe the Parrot invites Carina Felina to his house, “certain that the way to her cattish heart was through her stomach,” she quickly springs through the window, devouring the crackers he has prepared and infuriating the lovesick bird. Agra Deedy introduces the casually imperious cat’s repeating refrain: “Why, I’m Carina Felina!... I eat what I wish./ Step out of my way,/ or be my next dish!” Having swallowed the parrot, the feline ventures into a market square, where encounters end with her devouring two lilies and a flower vendor, an oxcart man and his ox, and more, growing in size and self-satisfaction until a final food makes for just des(s)erts. Cole’s pencil-sketched and digital illustrations, which portray human characters with brown skin, lend an airbrushed quality to the folkloric proceedings. Back matter includes a recipe for Cuban crackers. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
Praise for Carina Felina "Deedy and Cole animate this tale in a most wonderful way. Deedy's text, which includes English and Spanish words, tell the story, and Cole's vivid illustrations clearly show the deliciously villainous cat with all the living things that she's devoured inside her belly, giving children a lot of details to pore over as they go . . . . This fun folktale will delight readers of all ages. An excellent choice for libraries needing folktales and Spanish bilingual books." — School Library Journal "Deedy's catchy text is clever through the final playfully gruesome scene. Cole emphasizes the humor in the tale with pencil and digital illustrations. . . . Storytime listeners will be chanting along with Carina's refrain by her second snack." — The Horn Book
Praise for The Children's Moon by Carmen Agra Deedy: "… LaMarche’s emotive watercolors… capture the beauty of a world where sunshine and moonlight are equally radiant. The well-told tale works on multiple levels, useful in units on the moon and mythology, but also for an SEL discussion on identity, ego, and sharing." — School Library Journal
Praise for The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet! by Carmen Agra Deedy:An ALSC Notable * "Deedy's original tale about standing up to oppression couldn't be more timely. Yelchin's saturated, folksy, mixed-media paintings are the perfect partner, fleshing out the characterizations and offering visual humor. This subtle, modern multicultural tale is a must have." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review * "Deedy uses repeating language to powerful effect, ramping up the stakes while underscoring the gallito's steady determination... Yelchin amplifies themes of protest and injustice in vivid mixed-media caricatures that emphasize the rooster's humble nobility in contrast to Don Pepe's sneering autocratic airs. Like the gallito's cries of 'kee-kee-ree-kee!' Deedy's message about speaking up and speaking out rings as clearly as a bell." — Publishers Weekly, starred review * "Deedy's original story of the noisy village of La Paz has the feel of a well-told folktale — one with plenty of dry wit... Bright hues and busy page layouts reflect a boisterous La Paz but fade to dull blues and open space when Don Pepe comes into power. Following the narrative arc, the color and energy return with the gallito's arrival and resistance. The story closes with an inspiring author's note encouraging readers and listeners to make themselves heard." — The Horn Book, starred review "Told with a storyteller's flair, the narrative reads like a folktale, while Yelchin's mixed-media illustrations are vibrant and perfectly suit the text. A fun read-aloud for any library, especially ones looking for stories with Hispanic influence." — School Library Journal
Praise for Rita and Ralph's Rotten Day by Carmen Agra Deedy: * "Oswald's illustrations take full advantage of this book's elongated format, accentuating the distance between the friends' houses... Deedy's realistic portrait of the ups and downs of friendship will strike a familiar chord with young readers. This well-crafted story is an excellent choice for those seeking books featuring conflict-resolution to help children learn to manage their emotions and build healthy friendships and boundaries." — Booklist, starred review "A sincere and sympathetic but unsentimental treatment of a challenging behavior for youngsters — the admission of wrongdoing and the repair of friendship — told with a lilting cadence by noted storyteller Deedy... Kids can glean a lot from Rita and Ralph: miscommunication is an easy, inevitable occurrence between friends, and though making up is much more difficult, it's always worth a shot, and accountability goes a long way when making amends. A corresponding hand game, 'Mr. Wiggle & Mr. Waggle,' complete with diagrams, accompanies the text." — The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Recommended * "A terrific read-aloud... Rita and Ralph's tiff, told with a sweet freshness, is a timeless, engaging tale with which any young reader is likely to identify... Best friends learn that asking for — and accepting — forgiveness is an up-and-down process in this delightful picture book." — Shelf Awareness, starred review
Praise for One Little Bag: An Amazing Journey: * "The skilled black-ink drawings lend a look of pleasant harmony to all the characters that populate the pages, from woodland creatures to humans of various ages and gender and racial presentations. Meticulous attention to composition, textures, and period detail — starting around the 1960s — makes each page a delight... Because there are no words, children are left to draw their own conclusions... Beautifully effective as both nostalgia trip and lesson in conservation." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review * "[The story's] message is deeply profound... Nostalgia and love abound... bringing tears to the eyes of readers of all ages with each detailed image... [A] compelling and emotionally resonant addition to Earth Day curricula, especially as an inspiration for reusing items as long as possible." — School Library Journal, starred review * "By elevating the life of an ephemeral object to the time scale of love across generations, Cole nudges readers to take a second look at the things they throw away. An author's note describes how Earth Day prodded Cole to reuse the same paper lunch bag for years." — Publishers Weekly, starred review "From the title on, silence and secrets create stirring drama in this wordless picture book... children will be moved to return to the images many times and fill in their own words." — Booklist
Praise for Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad: A New York Times Best Illustrated Book "Designed to present youngsters with a moral choice… the author, a former teacher, clearly intended Unspoken to be a challenging book, its somber sepia tone drawings establish a mood of foreboding." — The New York Times Book Review * "Moving and emotionally charged." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review * "Gorgeously rendered in soft dark pencils, this wordless book is reminiscent of the naturalistic pencil artistry of Maurice Sendak and Brian Selznick." — School Library Journal, starred review "Cole conjures significant tension and emotional heft in this powerful tale of quiet camaraderie and courage." — Publishers Weekly, starred review "What Cole shows so superbly through his accomplished yet unpretentious pencil art is the keeping of secrets. The entire family appears to know what's going on, but the extent of each character's involvement is never made explicit." — The Horn Book
School Library Journal
08/01/2023
K-Gr 3—What could possibly go wrong with a parrot falling in love with a cat? In spite of Pepe the parrot's best efforts—making 100 Cuban crackers and coffee—Carina Felina, the cat, is not only ungrateful but still really hungry, and swallows the parrot! In an add-on story, Carina Felina travels the city, devouring all who cross her path. Can two little crabs find a way to stop this ravenous eater? Deedy and Cole animate this tale in a most wonderful way. Deedy's text, which includes English and Spanish words, tell the story, and Cole's vivid illustrations clearly show the deliciously villainous cat with all the living things that she's devoured inside her belly, giving children a lot of details to pore over as they go. Readers will also enjoy the way Deedy carefully crafts the text so even non-Spanish speakers will be able to figure out those words. Back matter includes a glossary and a recipe for Cuban crackers. This fun folktale will delight readers of all ages. VERDICT An excellent choice for libraries needing folktales and Spanish bilingual books.—Debbie Tanner
APRIL 2024 - AudioFile
Listeners will find author/narrator Carmen Agra Deedy's retelling of this folktale a delightful treat. Upbeat Caribbean music introduces listeners to the beautiful but gluttonous feline, Carina. She goes around town hilariously eating whatever she wants: crackers, a florist, a bride, and a boy. However, she meets her match when a pair of crabs help everyone escape her belly. Deedy alters her voice from an upbeat, happy tone for most of the audiobook to a snobbish tone and slower pace when portraying the rotten Carina. Music and sound effects make for an immersive listening experience. An author's note about the story's origin, a glossary of Spanish words, and a recipe for Cuban crackers add to this charming listen. The audiobook has an option for page turns. A.M. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2023-05-24
A selfish cat whom readers will love to hate swallows anyone who questions her behavior.
The trouble starts when Pepe the parrot attempts to woo Carina Felina with home-baked Cuban crackers and coffee. When the cat devours the crackers, leaving only one for Pepe, the outraged parrot demands an explanation. “I do what I like and I eat what I wish,” Carina replies with what will become the book’s refrain. “Step out of my way, or be my next dish!” After Pepe declares he is not afraid of her, she swallows him and proceeds to roam the Caribbean town, gobbling whomever she pleases and growing larger with every meal until a pair of land crabs hatch a plan to save their friends. Carina’s escalating audacity will have children eagerly turning the pages to find out whom the cat will eat next and when someone will put an end to her rampage. Each encounter introduces an italicized Spanish word, immediately defined, and by the end, Carina’s belly is full of people and animals children can name in Spanish and English. The colorful illustrations provide sufficient detail to stimulate the imagination without overwhelming and include enough nods to typical characteristics of a Hispanic Caribbean town to make the setting familiar to readers from such a background. Human characters are brown-skinned. In the backmatter, Deedy explains that many cultures around the world have their own version of the story. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A delightful Cuban-inflected retelling of a classic folktale. (glossary of Spanish words with pronunciations, recipe for galletas cubanas) (Picture book. 3-8)
