The Carousel King and the Space Mission

During a science presentation, Spanish-speaking Maxton, portrayed with brown skin, recounts becoming the Carousel King in Ordaz’s uplifting bilingual picture book, whose text appears in English and Spanish. Initially “scared I would go flying off and hurt myself,” young Maxton overcomes hesitance to ride the carousel at the local zoo by recalling a dream in which a magical dragon—who looks just like one of the mystical carousel steeds—encourages Maxton to give the ride another chance. One successful rotation later, Maxton, who now believes “I can do anything,” researches how carousels work in order to “one day build my own in space.” Popova’s lively illustrations, rendered using soft linework and boldly textured colors, simultaneously depict Maxton’s emotions and bring the speculative, fantastical aspects of the story to the fore. While the child’s carousel-riding fears and the imaginary trip to space read as disconnected from one another, the protagonist’s ever-present, can-do spirit capably carries readers from one mythical adventure to the next. Back matter includes an author’s note and fun facts about carousels, Jupiter, and the moon. Ages 4–10. (Self-published)