Mi Casa Is My Home

A light brown–skinned child named Lucía introduces their casa—and their “big, loud, beautiful familia,” which has roots in Puerto Rico and España—in this picture book by Sala. As Lucía treats the audience to a tour of the family’s casa in a seamless blend of English and Spanish (“Esta es la cocina... It’s where I watch Mamá perform milagros”), González Hoang offers context clues for non-Spanish-speaking readers in soft watercolor, colored pencil, and digital spreads, showcasing the family and community’s range of skin tones along the way. The immersive Spanish may present a learning curve for some (“cumples,” “ropa vieja,” and “Sana sana colita de rana!” for example, are nowhere near cognados to their English translations), but familiar elements—“Abuela puts smelly stuff on my chest when I’m sick”—ensure that readers of this bilingual picture book will find much to appreciate. Ages 3–7. (Sept.)