A Mango in the Hand: A Story Told Through Proverbs

Francisco's attempts to fend off bees and retrieve mangos from a tree give his father many opportunities to do what fathers do best: offer words of wisdom. Pap%C3%A1 does so in both English and Spanish ("%C3%89l que mucho abarca, poco aprieta. He who tries to grab too much, gets little"), and his lessons also help Francisco reach out to another familiar type of relative: the seemingly crabby (but actually lonely) aunt. Sacre's snappy storytelling avoids being overly moralistic, and Serra's digitally colored pencil-and-ink artwork creates a friendly, close-knit neighborhood for Francisco, the kind in which food, conversation%E2%80%94and proverbs%E2%80%94can be found in abundance. Ages 4%E2%80%938. (Apr.)