Quinito, Day and Night / Quinito, día y noche

"The author-illustrator team that created Quinito's Neighborhood (2005) now focuses on family fun in a book about opposites, which is also a celebration of differences. . . The appended bilingual glossary of opposites will inspire [readers] to return to the exuberant scenarios in the pictures."

* "Full of images and words that will engage preschoolers, and brief enough to be read in both languages at storytime, this works on multiple levels as a book of opposites, as an exposition of bilingual vocabulary (including a glossary at the end), and as a portrayal of a kind of family and neighborhood that is still hard to find, done this well, in picture books."

* "Ramirez's deep-hued oil-on-canvas primitive artwork has a childlike directness combined with a near flawless sense of composition and weighting. His paintings are a pleasure to look at--and warrant repeated perusal. Young listeners will be drawn in by the charm of the confident young narrator and the complementary illustrations. An excellent introduction or reinforcement of the concept of opposites, this is also just a good family story."

"Bold, bright double-page gouaches on textured canvas illustrate this cocoa-skinned Latino family inside and outside their home playing, working, reading, eating and finally retiring after a typical day. A dual text of English above an equally matched Spanish version will have preschoolers relating to the familiarity of Quinito's day and night activities, while children in a bilingual environment will appreciate the opposing features of each in two familiar languages."