Caballo y Mosca: ¡Pintalo!

PreS-K–Caballo wants to paint a mural, but he is not organized. His friend Mosca tells him that he has not thought it through and needs a plan. Caballo resists the advice, but as the plot advances, he realizes that Mosca might be right. Long offers a humorous installment in the “Caballo y Mosca” series. This Spanish edition of Paint It Out is set in large black font placed in rectangular speech bubbles accompanying the two characters in this story. The narrative is built with simple Spanish terms and some vocabulary words that are highlighted by the artwork. The illustrations, set in panels, move the narrative forward, utilizing sky blue and tertiary colors as background. Long’s use of colors emphasizes the theme of this story and expresses the mood of the characters in this book. Although this early reader book’s central theme is about preparedness, the painting aspect may be used in a preschool unit about colors. This book might also be used in a Spanish story time where preschool children will have fun with the stubborn horse and the helpful fly.