Mamá the Alien/Mamá la extraterrestre

K-Gr 3—Young Sofia finds her mother's alien resident card, and her mother confirms the truth: she is an alien. Sofia's imagination runs wild with questions. Does her mother visit her alien friends at night? Does her mother speak three languages—English, Spanish, and Alien? Is Sofia an alien, too? This is a very lighthearted and simple story about residency in the United States, particularly for Hispanics. The plot is playful and typical of a child's interpretation of the situation. What the story lacks is the explanation of why Sofia's mom has to apply for residency and, later, citizenship. Sofia's parents are vague about the card's meaning and give very little explanation to their daughter, who understands without further questions. Hopefully, parents who want to address this topic will have a more detailed discussion with their own children while reading this book. Also, Sofia's suspect "research" about aliens at the library, which results in confirmation that aliens have antennae and four fingers on each hand, might confuse literal-minded young readers. Overall, the pictures are pleasant-looking, the subject is important to address with young children, and the story makes for very easy reading in both languages.