La Madre Goose

“Elya even gives old rhymes new, culturally relevant makeovers. . . . Martinez-Neal’s softly textured illustrations combine acrylics and colored pencils to beautiful effect. Scenes spill across single- and double-page spreads, sweetly bringing the rhymes to life. Martinez-Neal’s talent is perhaps best represented in the diverse faces of the children she draws, whose genuine emotions pair perfectly with the rhymes they accompany. A lovely multicultural addition to the nursery rhyme shelf.”–Booklist


“Susan Middleton Elya instigates linguistic playfulness . . . by plaiting English nursery rhymes with bold-faced words in Spanish. . . . Soft-edged, softly colored illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal give this picture book a cozy feel.”–Wall Street Journal


“Elya reinterprets 18 classic nursery rhymes, incorporating Spanish vocabulary into offerings like ‘Three Little Gatitos’ (who have lost their mitoncitos) and ‘Little Miss Amarilla,’ who ‘sat in her silla,/ eating her beans and arroz.’ Debut illustrator Martinez-Neal contributes ultra-cozy mixed-media scenes featuring multiethnic children and anthropomorphic animals.”–Publishers Weekly


“Elya presents the familiar rhymes with a twist, following her usual formula of interlingual rhyming text. . . The book’s forte is Martinez-Neal’s soft and delightful illustrations, which capture the sweetness and warmth of the tales. . . A glossary is appended, which includes the Spanish words used, their pronunciation, and their meaning in English, with the goal of introducing English speakers to Spanish words that are not traditionally used in interlingual picture books.”–School Library Journal