¡Vamos! Let’s Go Eat

Now that he has a bicycle with a sidecar in addition to his wagon, Little Lobo, the young wolf who starred in Raúl the Third’s first bilingual ¡Vamos! story, is really in business: “Now we can make our deliveries faster,” he tells his dog, Bernabé. When famous luchador El Toro asks Little Lobo to deliver food for all the luchadores before a big match, the list proves long—“¡Tortas de milanesa!” “¡Churros!” “¡Elotes!” The square around el Coliseo is frantically busy with food trucks, some—like Taco Tuesday Everyday—in the shape of the foods they proffer, and Little Lobo knows them all. As in the first volume, Spanish words define background objects throughout, and the artwork’s dynamic vibe sends energy through spreads of the marketplace and its community. Suppliers and cooks cooperate (“Quique’s Quesadillas and Bronco’s Burritos buy their tortillas from Abuela”), and every cook knows their customers’ preferences: one “always gives Bernabé a sample of her masa.” The vital images, the dazzling colors and light (shout-out to colorist Elaine Bay), and the devotion to Mexican food and eating make this story utterly distinctive—and delicious. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 4–7. [em](Mar.) [/em]