Monday Review by the Book Dragon: A delightful poetry collection for children!

The Book Dragon has read The Taco Magician and Other Poems for Kids by Diane Gonzales Bertrand and illustrations by Carolyn Dee Flores (Houston: Arte Publico Press, 2019) and gives it 5 claws!

My 5 star review: The cover of this book is such a fun invitation to the poetry inside and complements the poems. The book itself is bilingual: read from one direction in English, and turn the book over to read the same poems in Spanish!

The poems are kid-friendly and use all five senses in a feast of fun images. Although they are organized in three sections (Clapping for Me, Curious Surprises, and Poetry Confetti), they speak to kid-friendly subjects and events. Many of the poems celebrate Hispanic culture, such as "Cascarones" and "Abuelita's Kitchen Table" (which will make you salivate while reading it), and all are universal to childhood, no matter what the cultural background of the reader.

The collection itself is colorful and fun-to-read poetry confetti, just like breaking open a piñata as described in "Piñata Poems." Other favorites of mine are "Books Take Me Places," "Ice Cream Rides Down My Street," "Little Soldiers," and my #1 favorite, "Sleep Had a Slumber Party."

Ms. Bertrand is a tremendous wordsmith and paints beautiful images of familia from her life experiences growing up in San Antonio, Texas, all the while making her poetry accessible and enjoyable for children. She even subtly encourages children to write their own poems. I highly recommend this book!

Note: I received a review copy directly from the publisher, Arte Publico Press in Houston, Texas. Opinions are my own.