Round Is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes

by Roseanne Thong, John Parra (Illustrator)

Overview

In this lively picture book, children discover shapes all around them! 

A feast for the eyes and playful lesson in language for young readers, Round Is a Tortilla features rich, boisterous illustrations, fun-to-read rhyming text, and an informative glossary to explore words in Spanish throughout the book that may be new to some.

Round are tortillas
and tacos, too
Round is a bowl of abuela’s stew.
Oval is my favorite locket,
A special pebble in my pocket.
I find ovals at the store
Huevos, olives, beans galore.

Shape by shape, this playful concept book will reinforce the shapes found in every child’s day: rectangles are ice-cream carts and stone metates, while triangles are slices of watermelon and quesadillas. Many of the featured objects are Latino in origin, and all are universal in appeal.

Perfect for:

• Parents, caregivers, preschool teachers, and librarians seeking kids' books that offer a fun way to explore shape concepts and multicultural reading
• Anyone looking to expand the diversity of their reading and build a bilingual vocabulary
• Birthday, holiday, baby shower, or family gift
• Fans of Besos for Baby, Palatero Man, Fry Bread, laugh-and-learn books like If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and Eric Carle board books, and Sonia Sotomayor's children's book Just Ask!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452145686
Publisher:	Chronicle Books
Publication date:	08/04/2015
Series:	A Latino Book of Concepts Series
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 8.70(h) x 0.30(d)
Language:	Spanish
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

John Parra is an award-winning illustrator, designer, teacher, and fine art painter. His books have received starred reviews, the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for illustration, two Pura Belpré Illustrator Honors, and the International Latino Book Award for Best Children's Book Interior Illustrations. He lives in Queens, New York.

Roseanne Greenfield Thong is a journalist and English teacher. She is the author of Green Is a Chile Pepper, Round Is a Mooncake, Red Is a Dragon, and Wish. She lives in Fountain Valley, California.

Editorial Reviews

A girl discovers that shapes are everywhere in this companion to Round Is a Mooncake. Spanish vocabulary words are sprinkled throughout rhyming, reader-directed verse: “Stone metates inside our casa/ help us grind our corn to masa./ Rectangles are flags that fly/ above the scoreboard, way up high./ How many rectangles do you spy?” Parra’s thick paintings have a rough, weathered wood-grain texture, and his figures—with their serene facial expressions and rosy cheeks—resemble Mexican folk-art dolls. Whimsical elements like a mermaid in the bay and celestial ornaments dangling from an avocado tree add pizzazz to this poetic ode to shapes. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Natalie Lakosil, Bradford Literary Agency. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Take a tour of Latino culture and learn about shapes at the same time.”-Library Media Connection

"Poetic ode to shapes." - Publishers Weekly

"A perfect choice for the very youngest audiences."—School Library Journal Extra Helping

From the Publisher

PreS-Gr 2—This picture book in rhyme focuses on everyday things-a square for a park, a round pot of stew, a rectangle for the scoreboard at the baseball game. All of the shapes and activities reflect Hispanic culture-stars are for parties and the celebration depicted is a fiesta. Round is a sombrero; squares are ventanas, or windows; and triangles are for chips and guacamole. Some of the shapes appear on two spreads, some have one, but all end with the refrain: "how many more… can you find?" The realistic illustrations feature lots of people of various ages. The paintings are colorful and lend a sense of movement and joy to the activities. The Spanish words are integral to the story but will be clear from context to non-Spanish speakers. This is a lovely book for teaching and sharing shapes within a culture or for just the concepts themselves. It is also a terrific title about family, fun, and sharing.—Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City

School Library Journal

This charming concept book will engage readers and help them recognize shapes in everyday objects. Beautiful rose-colored endpapers draped with a festive, lacy banner lead readers into a book that is a celebration of both shapes and Hispanic culture. Thong uses simple rhymes ("Rectangles are carts / with bells that chime / and cold paletas / in summertime") to introduce shapes and Spanish words whose meanings—if not apparent from the illustrations—can be derived from the glossary. Parra's vibrant colors and geometric, folksy art help readers recognize shapes in both the book and the world around them. Intricate spreads offer an abundance of details observant readers will appreciate. The art and text generally complement each other, though some spreads may require an additional bit of work to understand (tacos are used as examples of a round shape, while being properly depicted as folded tortillas filled with deliciousness; the metates are said to be in the casa but are shown in the backyard). Bird's-eye views depict a lovely diversity of skin color, but close-up portraiture is less strikingly differentiated. Nevertheless, this book will teach readers about more than basic shapes thanks to both its use of Spanish words and the inclusion of Hispanic cultural elements. (glossary) (Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews