Overview
Mamá, Papá, Sister, and Brother Ratón go for a picnic on a beautiful day. After a delicious lunch, Mamá and Papá smooch—eeewww!—and Brother and Sister must find something to do. And what could be more fun than teasing the cat behind the fence?
A Spanish mouse family enjoys their picnic, until a cat threatens them, and mother mouse must save the day by demonstrating her ability to speak another language. Story is interspersed with various Spanish words.
Synopsis
Mamá, Papá, Sister, and Brother Ratón go for a picnic on a beautiful day. After a delicious lunch, Mamá and Papá smooch—eeewww!—and Brother and Sister must find something to do. And what could be more fun than teasing the cat behind the fence?
School Library Journal
K-Gr 2-This retelling of a Cuban folktale moves slowly as a mouse family on a picnic has an encounter with an orange tabby cat. Also, the title reveals the twist at the end, wherein Mam proves herself the more useful parent when she frightens the cat away. The story is preceded by a glossary of 14 Spanish words and phrases. Simple sentences and amusing characterizations may engage some children, but many will be put off by the mouse parents' obsession with "smooching." Aguirre's freshly hued acrylic pictures feature flat cartoon profiles and a variety of composition styles.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.