Big Bushy Mustache

Rating:
Summary: Getting hairy with Gary Soto
Review: "Big Bushy Mustache" combines text by Gary Soto with illustrations by Joe Cepada. They tell the story of Ricky, a young Latino boy. His teacher is planning to have the class put on a play about Cinco de Mayo, and Ricky will get to wear a costume mustache. But Ricky gets into a jam when he disobeys the teacher's instructions.

This is a fun book with an effective Latino flavor. Ricky is an engaging young hero. However, there is a weird gender identity subtext surrounding Ricky's feelings about the mustache; in my opinion, this aspect of the story is handled awkwardly. Otherwise this is a good choice for a multicultural collection of children's books.

Rating:
Summary: Getting hairy with Gary Soto
Review: "Big Bushy Mustache" combines text by Gary Soto with illustrations by Joe Cepada. They tell the story of Ricky, a young Latino boy. His teacher is planning to have the class put on a play about Cinco de Mayo, and Ricky will get to wear a costume mustache. But Ricky gets into a jam when he disobeys the teacher's instructions.

This is a fun book with an effective Latino flavor. Ricky is an engaging young hero. However, there is a weird gender identity subtext surrounding Ricky's feelings about the mustache; in my opinion, this aspect of the story is handled awkwardly. Otherwise this is a good choice for a multicultural collection of children's books.