SPANISH LANGUAGE MATERIALS

Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match/Marisol McDonald no combina

978-0-89239-235-3.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—Marisol McDonald has brown skin, freckles, and hair the color of fire. She pairs polka dots with stripes and eats peanut butter and jelly burritos. She's a Peruvian-Scottish-American who is perfect just the way she is. Why not have a game of soccer-playing pirates or mix cursive with print? That makes sense to Marisol. But others seem to see things differently. When another student issues a matching challenge to Marisol, she has to decide if she will conform simply to show that she can. In this lively bilingual book, Marisol is brought to life in both English and Spanish through Brown's dynamic prose, Palacios's vibrant illustrations, and Dominguez's outstanding translation. This fun book allows readers to meet a wonderful character. Children get a glimpse of what it means to grow up in a biracial family and have other people trying to define what is "normal." The story encourages readers to embrace their uniqueness and be exactly who they are.—Verónica Corral, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, NC
Spirited text in English and Spanish describes the ways the mixed-race narrator "doesn't match," from clothing choice to physical appearance ("My cousin Tato...says, 'Marisol, your skin is brown like mine, but your hair is the color of carrots. You don't match!'"). Palacios's illustrations capture Marisol's exuberant style and wacky fashion sense, as does Domínguez's thoughtful Spanish translation of Brown's text.
Marisol’s multiracial heritage—her mother is Peruvian and her father is Scottish—is part of the reason she loves things that “don’t match.” The book’s celebration of cultural diversity will appeal to those who have more than one ethnic identity. Parents and teachers will appreciate Marisol’s ultimate decision to embrace the things that make her different from others in her classroom. The confidence she feels in her identity is reflected in her choosing a puppy that is unique just like her, with one blue and one brown eye and one pointy and one floppy ear. Sara Palacios’s bright and inviting illustrations highlight Marisol’s colorful style. Collaged elements cleverly reinforce the mismatching theme.

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