Winner: Duncan Tonatiuh for Diego Rivera: His World and Ours (Abrams)

Honor: Rafael  López for The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred; written by Samantha R. Vamos (Charlesbridge)
Review in The Horn Book Guide, fall 2011
This fresh take on the “House That Jack Built” rhyme chronicles the making of a delicious pot of arroz con leche (rice with milk). All of the farm animals, from the hen to the goat to the burro, find a way to contribute to the farm maiden’s recipe. López’s rich-hued, beautifully textured acrylic-on-grained-wood illustrations are standouts. TW

Honor: Sara Palacios for Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match / Marisol McDonald no Combina; written by Monica Brown, translated from the Spanish by Adriana Domínguez (Children’s Book Press)
Review in The Horn Book Guide, spring 2012
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. TW

The post Reviews of the 2012 Belpre Illustrator Award winners appeared first on The Horn Book.

Winner: Guadalupe Garcia McCall for Under the Mesquite (Lee & Low Books)
Review in The Horn Book Guide, spring 2012
Eldest Lupita leads her seven younger siblings through the uncertainty of their mother’s cancer. Lupita endeavors to keep her Mexican American family together while attempting to reach her own goals for college and a career. First-person free verse with Spanish carefully sprinkled throughout project this young woman’s thoughts, fears, and triumphs with grace and resolve. RSS

Honor: Xavier Garza for Maximilian & the Mystery of the Guardian Angel: A Bilingual Lucha Libre Thriller (Cinco Puntos)
Not reviewed.

Honor: Margarita Engle for Hurricane Dancers: The First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck (Holt)
Review in The Horn Book Guide, fall 2011
Several first-person narratives converge in this verse novel of the sixteenth century. Two star-crossed lovers of Cuban legend; two historical figures, a pirate and a ruthless conquistador; and a fictional slave give readers spare pieces of one overall story. An introductory list of characters provides information not immediately apparent in their titular poems; the concluding author’s note fills in historical background. BC

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