2023 International Latino Book Awards SILVER, The Mariposa Award (Best debut author)
2023 Best Books for Kids & Teens starred selection, The Canadian Children's Book Centre
Santiago finds a way to connect to his classmates—through dinosaurios!
Santiago is new to the United States, and he doesn't speak English. On his first day of school, how will he connect with his peers? Santiago learns that even when you don't speak the same language, some interests—like dinosaurs—are universal.
September 1, 2022
Preschool-Grade 1 After moving to the U.S. from Mexico, Santiago is preparing for his first day at a new school. He brings his favorite dinosaur items along, but he is still very nervous. How will he understand others if he doesn't know English? At school, Santiago becomes discouraged as he tries to communicate with his classmates. As the day goes on, however, he learns new words and finds that he and his classmates have many things in common--including a love of dinosaurs. Santiago's new friends also learn words in Spanish, and the children begin to mix and match words. The strong narrative perfectly conveys Santiago's anxiety, with his confidence building as he participates at school, surrounded by supportive teachers and kind classmates. Spanish words and phrases are defined on each page by footnotes, and each spread is lively and full of color, depicting a comforting school environment and a diverse cast of children and teachers.
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September 15, 2022
On his first day of school in a new country, a young boy discovers a dino-mite way to make friends. Santiago is starting school in the United States after moving from Mexico. He readies his dinosaur-themed backpack with all of his dinosaur school supplies, including his favorite dinosaur book. Worries, nonetheless, plague him. "�C�mo har� nuevos amigos?" he wonders ("How will I make new friends?"), particularly because he doesn't speak or understand English yet. When Mrs. Taylor introduces Santiago to the rest of the class, he recoils from all the attention. Though the boy sitting next to him greets him, Santiago can't find the words beyond sharing his name in Spanish--and he worries that he "has a Brachiosaurus-sized problem." Library time introduces more language barriers. However, the day improves when Santiago goes to music class, where a classmate flashes a thumbs-up at Santiago's cool dinosaur shirt. Now, "Santiago's problem might only be Iguanodon-sized." With compassion and insight, R�os Ram�rez chronicles the anxieties that many children feel upon attending school in a new country. The use of dinosaurs to measure Santiago's apprehensions works well (further underscored with the dinosaur-stamped endpapers). Unitalicized Spanish words and phrases slip in throughout the tale, with translations tucked away at the bottoms of pages. Mrs. Taylor is Black; Lugo's vibrant, smile-filled illustrations feature a diverse group of students. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A rawr-ing good depiction of being the new kid. (dinosaur glossary) (Picture book. 4-8)
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