Juana y Lucas: Muchos cambios

Gr 1-4–In this third outing about the Colombian girl and her dog, Juana experiences major changes, including the news that she will be spending her school break at skating camp and that her mother is pregnant. The rambunctious pig-tailed girl with her signature red-and-white striped shirt overcame big problems, like learning how to speak English and her mom’s wedding, in previous volumes. But nothing can prepare her for the awkwardness of being the only kid at skate camp with skates and not rollerblades. Or the embarrassment of falling and scraping her chin. Or the scariness of the premature birth of her baby sister. This series explores kid-relevant issues with humor and respect for young readers. Medina’s line is smooth and playful, and the text’s font often grows in size or shape to reflect Juana’s emotions or the drama she’s experiencing. The cheerful art varies from full page to small spot art, balancing well with the amount of text on the page. Short chapters, plenty of white space, and the friends’ high jinks and big changes will resonate with emerging readers.