School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-Told in verse, this story shows how a family celebrates Papa Luis's very special birthday. It begins, "Esta es la fiesta para Papa Luis." Each page adds a new line to the story and a component of the party. From bringing out the pinata to the arrival of the guest of honor, each page describes everyone's contribution to the festivities. The children are in charge of the candy, Mama Marta bakes the cake and the nieces place the candles on it, and friends and family dance the day away. The humorous illustrations of clowns, conga lines, and empanadas, and the boldly colored exaggerated cartoons of the relatives perfectly depict the party atmosphere and the joy felt by this family. Children will leave this book dreaming of parties.-Rebecca Alcala, San Mateo County Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
A large cartoon family celebrates Papa Luis's birthday in this lively bilingual book. Every page identifies a different colorful element of the gathering ("This is the candy that filled the pinata that hung at the party for Papa Luis"), and layers them in the style of "There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly." Galindo's exuberant caricatures endow each family member with a distinct personality: Mama Marta, who makes an enormous layer cake, wears a white, Marge Simpson-like beehive, and three chic adult nieces bring a touch of glamour. Readers will be glad to join in, though the party ends a little suddenly, mid pinata swing. Ages 4-8. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
The author of The Last Doll (2000) offers here another bilingual (Spanish-English) picture book, modeled on This is the House That Jack Built. Papá Luis' family is hard at work planning his birthday fiesta. Mamá Marta supervises the filling of the piñata, bakes a multilayer cake, and decorates it with sweets and candles. Family and friends surprise Papá with gifts, dancing, and a clown who ends his performance by breaking the piñata. Galindo's brightly colored mixed-media illustrations depict larger-than-life, Texas-style cartoon figures sporting oversized hairdos and facial features. His whimsical art includes many details of local color (including cowboy hats and Tex-Mex foods) and meshes nicely with Bertrand's cumulative text. Pair with Simms Taback's This Is the House That Jack Built (2002) to introduce children to the original verse.--Weisman, Kay Copyright 2010 Booklist
