Name: My Papi Has a Motorcycle
ISBN: 9780525553410

Isabel Quintero

"When Daisy Ramona zooms around her neighborhood with her papi on his motorcycle, she sees the people and places she's always known. She also sees a community that is rapidly changing around her"--

My Papi Has a Motorcycle

Lord Aragorn

This was an absolutely wonderful story celebrating Quintero's hometown all the people who helped to build it, both in the past and today. Daisy's papi owns a motorcycle, and everyday when he comes home from work, he takes Daisy out on a ride around town. As they travel through town, they pass familiar landmarks, like her abuelita's church, the tortilleria, the panaderia, the market, and her school. They also pass by all the residents of the city, like the librarian, her grandparents, her friends, the men her father works with when he builds houses, the neighbor's dogs, and stray cats. Each person and landmark is a vital piece of home for Daisy and she revels in visiting each one, celebrating the beauty of her city. 

I loved the way history was interwoven into this story. From the murals of citrus groves and the immigrants who worked them, to the way she imagines she's taking part in the road race on Grand Boulevard, to her grandfather's lemon trees grown from the groves he used to pick, history is a vibrant presence in this book. But there is also great hope for the future. Daisy sees and accepts change in her neighborhood, acknowledging that it's inevitable and not always bad. But whatever changes, she'll always love her home and her family. 

The illustrations in this book were beautifully vibrant. Every page has a background of soft sunset colors, that really make the people pop on the page. Spanish words are used throughout the text, primarily in speech bubbles, although occasionally in the text as well. The Spanish used in the main text tends to be people, places, and foods - the kinds of words that are easily understood from context. Which is just as well, since none of the Spanish is translated. I really liked that about this book. The entire tone of the book is very conversational and I think that would have been undermined if Daisy had tried to translate anything.

Caroline Lewicki

A beautiful immigrant's story about change and culture. I really enjoyed the beautiful illustrations and the passion for Quintero's hometown.

My Papi Has a Motorcycle

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