Get up and Go: Being Active

Children's Literature - Carlee Hallman

Juana and Maria walk to and from school. They play jump rope and kickball on the playground. Maria likes to play softball. Juana stretches her muscles and jogs around the gym to warm up before playing basketball. In their apartment building, they take the stairs instead of the elevator. Juana and her mom ride bikes to the store for milk. Maria and her dad walk the dog and play with it. Maria takes gymnastic lessons. In summer, the girls go to the pool. In winter, they play together in the snow. Two simple sentences of text appear per two-page spread. A framed note gives further information, such as: "Playing is being active. Have fun being active with your friends." The brightly-colored, ink-and-watercolor illustrations show the girls in urban settings. The names and pictures suggest that the girls are Hispanic. This is part of the "How to Be Healthy!" series. A list of other books, a web site address, and a short index are included. Reviewer: Carlee Hallman