Nuestra California would be a strong addition to any Spanish text collection. The illustrations and the text would be a welcome to a Spanish-speaking child beginning to understand California.

Seldom has California been presented with more verve! From the opening spread map to the closing information on significant towns, the brief, gently rhyming text gives vivid snapshots of the state’s major urban and rural areas. Text and illustration take readers on a fascinating trip, from San Diego’s beautiful views and zoo to San Francisco’s gentle fog, from the majesties of Yosemite to the sun-drenched Central Valley. The acrylic illustrations are painted on grained wood with texture added by scraping and distressing the paint. The result is a collection of arresting vignettes with infused yellows, oranges, reds, and blues. The final pages present detailed bullet-format information on the 14 places treated (10 cities or towns plus Yosemite, the Channel Islands, the Central Valley, and the Death Valley) with enough facts for short reports. The expository narrative flows well, and is clear and informative. This lovely presentation is excellent for school and public libraries, as well as home use.

What a scrumptious book! The lyrical language of this text is as lush as the colors used in its acrylic on wood grain illustrations. In Nuestra California, Pam Munoz Ryan provides a four-line description of the many and varied regions of her home state, complemented by Rafael Lopez's folksy paintings spanning each region's two-page spread. Canetti's translation is accurate but uses words that may be unfamiliar to lower level readers. At the end of the book, each region is revisited by Ryan for a bit more historical background and a look at the state's seal, flag and flower. While Our California does not provide enough information on which to base a full-blown research project about this state, the book does offer a tantalizing tease that will encourage young readers and researchers to delve deeper into other meatier books about this "terrestrial paradise."