¡Essie! ¿Otra vez? / Again, Essie?

♦ Rafael’s little sister, Essie, is always running after him and knocking over his toys. While she naps, Rafael gets the idea to make a wall high enough so Essie can’t pass to where he and his toys are. Rafael collects numerous boxes of different sizes—cereal and puzzle boxes, shipping and Kleenex boxes, file organizers and a cooler—and gets to work. Rafael arranges and rearranges the boxes until he finally has a good-sized wall, and just in time as Essie wakes up! As she approaches, Essie easily knocks over the wall. Rafael realizes all she wants is to play with him, and soon they are working together to make a new wall. Colorful digital illustrations welcome readers into Essie and Rafael’s comfortable and loving home, while English and Spanish text narrates each step of Rafael’s careful plan. Essie’s presence is known as the text becomes larger with each crash Essie brings. A glossary and suggestions for exploring math are included.

VERDICT Featuring two Chicanx siblings, and their family in the background, this bilingual picture book provides a fun view of how math and problem-solving skills can be applied in the everyday.

—School Library Journal, starred review


A young Latine boy builds a wall out of a shoe box and other items to protect his toys from his toddler sister.

Two “No Pasar” signs hang outside both entrances into the living room. In the center, Rafael pins a sheet around his toys to shield them. But it doesn’t stop his sister, Essie, who comes barreling in with a mighty “¡CRASH!” An idea strikes Rafael to build a wall “wide enough and tall enough to keep Essie out.” Picking a favorable spot in his bedroom, Rafael initiates his new plan while Essie takes a siesta. He collects a packing box, a shoe box, a puzzle box, a cooler, and more to construct his Essie-proof wall. His goal: to fit, flip, and turn each item into a makeshift barrier. Easy in theory, tough in practice. As Essie stirs and fusses out of her nap, Rafael tries to puzzle out each shape into a wall before time runs out. With a dash of humor, Lacika’s Spanish and English text—translated by Calvo—serves a low-key urgent scenario familiar to older siblings. An eclectic mix of short, punchy lines and longer, descriptive sentences chugs along at a smooth pace. Full of clean, solid linework, Martínez’s bright, colorful illustrations feature big, legible shapes distinct from one another on the page. Visual cues (including a joyful little cat) provide a sense of scale during Rafael’s wall construction. 

A playful tale to encourage spatial awareness and creativity. (author’s note, glossary, activities) (Math picture book. 3-6)

—Kirkus Reviews