Niño Wrestles the World

by Yuyi Morales, Yuyi Morales (Illustrator)

Overview

Señoras y señores, put your hands together for the fantastic, spectacular, one of a kind . . . Niño!

Fwap! Slish! Bloop! Krunch! He takes down his competition in a single move!

No opponent is too big a challenge for the cunning skills of Niño—popsicle eater, toy lover, somersault expert, and world champion lucha libre competitor!

Niño Wrestles the World is in English with Spanish vocabulary, and is a fun, colorful story about a boy wrestling with imaginary monsters (including an Olmec Head and La Llorona) and adversaries like his younger sisters. This is a joyful picture book from Yuyi Morales about imagination, play, and siblings.

A Neal Porter Book

Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Winner
A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
ALSC Notable Children's Book
A Mamiverse.com Top 50 Latino Children's Books You Should Know

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781596436046
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	06/04/2013
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	420L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Born and raised in Mexico, Yuyi Morales has been a radio producer and children's book creator since coming to the United States. Her books which have won numerous awards and honors include Little Night and its Spanish edition, Nochecita, a 2008 ALA Notable Children's Book, and Just in Case: A Trickster Tale and the Spanish Alphabet Book, both published by Roaring Brook Press. Ms. Morales lives in Northern California.

Editorial Reviews

Morales (Georgia in Hawaii) takes her theme from Mexican professional wrestling, and the resulting story is every bit as fun and campy as the theatrical fighting it’s based on. The stars of “lucha libre,” an afterword explains, wear masks that add to their mystery. Niño—“The Boy”—is ready for action in his red mask, sneakers, and underpants. The story rockets from cero to sesenta as Niño imagines taking on the scary demons and bad guys of Mexican lore and knocking them off, one after another, with his own trademark wrestling moves. He undoes the groaning Guanajuato Mummy with a Tickle Tackle, deceives the child-stealing Weeping Woman with decoy baby dolls, and is taken aback only by Las Hermanitas—his little sisters, who have just woken up from their nap. Truly eerie opponents, Spanish exclamations (“Zok!” “Pachatas!”), a bold design, and a lurid palette all contribute to the in-your-face style. Capsule profiles of the combatants on the endpages (Las Hermanitas’ battle cry is “Constant and loud”) only add to the entertainment. Vivan las luchas! Ages 4–8. Agent: Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency. (June)

Publishers Weekly

Sure to be a smash.” —Kirkus Reviews

“In comic-book fashion, the bold portrayal of each match includes dialogue bubbles and sound effects printed in decorative fonts ("whunk," "bloop," "krunch").” —School Library Journal

“Kids with multicultural classmates will recognize (or learn) Niño's many Spanish exclamations. A closing note explains the lucha libre culture.” —Booklist

From the Publisher

K-Gr 2—Playing alone in his room, Niño dons his Lucha Libre mask and lets his imagination take flight. (According to an endnote, Lucha Libre is a dramatic form of professional wrestling followed by fans in Mexico.) The young hero is then ready to take on an eclectic cast of monstrous opponents. Spurred on by chanting crowds, the boy handily defeats the Guanajuato Mummy (La Momia de Guanajuato), Olmec Head (Cabeza Olmeca), and the Weeping Woman (La Llorona), using a variety of clever strategies. Next up is El Extraterrestre and then El Chamuco. Niño remains undefeated until the dreadful hour arrives. Nap time is over and his baby sisters are ready to wrestle. Las Hermanitas will stop at nothing, and Niño soon realizes that it is better to join forces with them. Together, the siblings form a tag team, challenging all contenders. The fast-paced narrative is sprinkled with Spanish vocabulary and accompanied by energetic and vivid illustrations adorned with stars and rays of light that bring to mind stylishly designed event posters. In comic-book fashion, the bold portrayal of each match includes dialogue bubbles and sound effects printed in decorative fonts ("whunk," "bloop," "krunch"). The endpapers feature amusing profiles of the competitors. Captivated youngsters will cheer for Niño as he takes on each opponent in this action-packed story.—Linda L. Walkins, Saint Joseph Preparatory High School, Boston, MA

School Library Journal

Little luchador Niño battles out-of-this-world opponents one by one until he finally meets his match. Niño has a big imagination and a love of lucha libre, the popular Mexican masked wrestling. While his sisters nap, he becomes an impressive luchador, facing competitors often drawn from Mexican history and folklore. The text, unfolding as if by a commentator calling the action, begs to be read aloud. Challengers are vanquished not by violence but by gentle horseplay and clever wit--until Niño meets Las Hermanitas, awake from their naps, and must quickly devise a new strategy to take on such crafty adversaries. A multiple Pura Belpré medal winner, Morales' (Just in Case, 2008, etc.) style of illustration continues to evolve with this title. She uses a graphic approach reminiscent of a comic book, with speech bubbles and sound effects, a smart choice for moving along the action of the plot. This design will appeal to children who may struggle to find picture books that match their interests and energy level, especially boys. Trading-card–style introductions to each opponent on the endpapers include pronunciation guidance for Spanish names. Occasional challenges with text placement and page flow keep this title from being flawless, but young readers will be so engrossed with this humorous story that these issues are easy to overlook. Sure to be a smash. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews

"Niño!" To a background of wild cheering and jaunty music, young wrestler Niño hears his name and enters an (imaginary) ring. Narrator Adriana Sananes is as animated as the crowd and as pumped up as Niño himself. Her voice speeds and slows, rises and falls with the thrill of each bout. One by one Niño takes on his opponents—from the Guanajuato Mummy to El Chamuco—and sometimes outwits them with a “tickle tackle” or distracts them with a puzzle to solve. When the three o’clock alarm sounds in the recording, it’s time for Niño’s little sisters—LAS HERMINITAS—to awaken from their nap. And they’re Niño’s biggest challenge of all! The production concludes with notes about the Mexican form of wrestling known as LUCHA LIBRE. A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2016 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2016 - AudioFile