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From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

Little Lobo is eager to drive his new camión to the big celebration, taking with him piñatas, cakes, fireworks, presents, and a musical group called Ranita y sus Lily Pads. But in order to get there, he has to cross the bridge, which astute readers will realize is the bridge over the Río Grande that connects two border towns, Juárez and El Paso. During the hours-long wait on the bridge, Little Lobo remarks on all of the sights and sounds, and as night falls, when he realizes they aren’t going to make it in time for the celebration, they decide to have a celebration right there on the bridge. As with the author/illustrator’s previous books about Little Lobo, there is a lot to look at in the boldly colored illustrations, which are filled with humorous details. An endnote recalls the author’s childhood memories of frequently crossing the bridge, by car and on foot; his mother was born in Juárez and his father in El Paso, so they had family on both sides of the border.
(Ages 3-8)

CCBC Choices 2022 © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2022. Used with permission.

From School Library Journal

Starred review from October 1, 2021

PreS-Gr 2-Little Lobo has his new truck loaded up with fun things for a big celebraci�n-pi�atas, cakes, gifts, and more-but first Little Lobo and friends have to cross the puente to get to the city. As they make their way, readers can see the colorful towns on both sides of the bridge, one that resembles the Paso del Norte International Bridge. It connects two similar towns in two countries, one in which English is mostly spoken, and one in which Spanish is the main language. Having to wait in much heavier traffic than anticipated, Little Lobo shows his friends the incredible happenings all around them-food trucks selling delicious foods like churros, lowriders bouncing up and down, and a bus full of luchadores. As they wait, the friends realize they can bring the celebration to everyone. New and returning visitors to the "�Vamos!"series will jump right into the bright, colorful world and travel alongside the characters, taking in the sights and imagining the smells. Readers will love pointing out the Easter eggs and cultural references on every page, many of which, like Cantinflas and De la Rosa Mazapan, may be very familiar. Vibrant spreads allow the party to spill out of the pages, and the Spanish words appear in a glossary. VERDICT A perfect addition to the world of "�Vamos!" and to picture book collections for children.-Selenia Paz, Harris County P.L., Houston

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Kirkus

Starred review from September 1, 2021
Traffic threatens to thwart Little Lobo's delivery. Little Lobo and his friends make another appearance in Ra�l the Third's latest installment in the World of �Vamos! series. Like "thousands of people [who] cross from one side of the bridge to the other," Little Lobo heads over from one country to the other, bound for "la gran celebraci�n" with party supplies and a band made up of frogs and a snake who rattles a maraca. As the hours go by and the group waits for their turn to cross the bridge, "the day turns into night," and the characters begin to lose their patience and get hungry. But there are food trucks in line too! Soon Little Lobo and his friends discover the smorgasbord of culinary options around them and that so long as you have good friends and good music, you can have a party anywhere. Like the other books in the series, this outing excels in its inclusion of cultural references in its illustrations: Cantinflas, El Chavo del Ocho's barrel, tuna-fruit vendors, T-shirts displaying El Paso's area code, and the Ju�rez X are only some of the details that Ra�l the Third gets right about life and culture in the depicted area. Spanish vocabulary is intertwined throughout the text as well as appearing in both the occasional labels in the illustrations and the handy glossary at the end. The iconic illustration style is enhanced by Bay's colors, which bring the vibrant spirit of the border to the page. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Totally fun and dynamic. (Picture book. 4-7)

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From Booklist

August 1, 2021
Grades K-3 Pura Belpr� Medal-winning illustrator Ra�l the Third offers a third book in his widely praised �Vamos! series. Little Lobo and his friends must take a truck filled with party supplies across the Puente Libre bridge to another country for a big celebration. The bridge is always bustling with people on foot, in cars, and on bicycles, going to and from both countries. However, today is a very busy day, and everyone is stuck on the bridge. What can they do to pass the time while they wait? Little Lobo and his friends think of an excellent idea. In addition to being full of entertaining artwork, this gently teaches children how to make the best out of an unexpected situation. The Spanish words throughout the text are ideal for readers who are learning or expanding their Spanish vocabulary. Ra�l the Third's intricate illustrations in his signature art style bring the busy bridge to life with so much detail that every read through will have kids spotting new things on each page.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.