Recommended for ages three and up.
"I am three years old
I am so strong
I am so smart
Look at what I own!"
Lalo, or as he calls himself, The King of Things, plays the famous Mexican game of Loteria, a kind of bingo with pictures instead of numbers and considers each thing his own. I love loteria! I played it with my family as far back as I can remember and was always fascinated by the images and dreamy quality of them.
Artemio Rodriguez has taken those images up quite a notch. They are vibrant, stunning and even more dreamlike woodcuts. Think loteria mixed with Tarot and then add a Mexican flair.. The colors are bright like a sarape and you feel you could sink right into the page. In each image of the loteria, Lalo manages to find himself. My favorite woodcut is the Sirena; she's so beautiful. She reminds me of Yemaya, the Virgen de Guadalupe, Tonantzin, and all indigenous womanhood.
The book is simply and beautifully done. Lalo reads each card in English and Spanish on one side of the page and the image is on the other. There should be posters of these images, they are just so stunning.
My grandaughter, who is three years old, walked into my room today and the book was the first thing she noticed on my shelf. "Grammy! What's that?" as she reached for it. We read it over and over and over again. She couldn't get enough and loved practicing the words in English and Spanish. Her favorite was "The heron" (el garza), who is stork-like and carries Lalo in his bill. She wouldn't let the book go and it went home with her where my daughter-in-law said she fell asleep with it. I can't think of a better recommendation for the book!
The King of Things/El Rey de las Cosas is a beautiful and interactive book that children will love.
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