El Perro con Sombrero

August 17, 2015
The life of a homeless dog named Pepe changes when a sombrero lands on his head, and a movie director casts him in his movies. Pepe takes on various roles—a cowboy dog, a singer—all while wearing the gigantic sombrero. Another movie star rival, a jealous “gato en zapatos,” absconds with Pepe’s hat. In the book’s liveliest sequence, Pepe chases the cat “Through markets. Por los mercados. Through cinemas. Por los cinemas. Through weddings. Por las bodas,” as Henry pictures them bounding over the heads of movie patrons and smashing through a wedding cake. A happy ending sees both animals enjoying an early retirement, choosing a loving family over fame. It’s a sweet and swiftly moving story filled with physical humor. Ages 4–7. Author’s agent: Eric Myers, Spieler Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Justin Rucker, Shannon Associates.

March 1, 2015
Move over, Puss in Boots and Cat in the Hat; now there's el Perro con Sombrero and el Gato con Zapatos.Pepe is a homeless, hungry, and very sad dog until a fancy sombrero lands on his head. Almost immediately, a grocer spots him and is so impressed by this handsome canine that he gives Pepe a bone. A movie director in a flashy sports car then demands that Pepe star in his movies. From Westerns to comedies, Pepe's a box office hit. But despite the monetary windfall and fancy digs, he still yearns for a family and a real home. Enter el gato-the jealous movie star Pepe has displaced. Wearing fabulous, zoot suit-ready purple shoes, the cat steals the sombrero. The chase is on! Apples tumble down supermarket aisles, popcorn rains over movie theater seats, a wedding cake meets its doom, and finally, the line is drawn in a park sandbox. Claws and fangs at 20 paces. Henry's retro-style mixed-media illustrations-pencil, watercolor, and digitalized watercolor-neatly suit Kent's spunky, lighthearted, fully bilingual story. Lugo's translation appears in red type beneath Kent's English text, paragraph by paragraph.A nifty bilingual treat. (Picture book. 5-10)

April 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 2-Pepe is a lonely street dog without a home or a loving family. When a strong wind blows a sombrero onto his head, people begin to take notice of the pup, and soon he and his sombrero are making movies and receiving letters from fans every day. But although Pepe now has fame and fortune, he has no family to call his own. When the jealous cat with purple shoes (el gato en zapatos) hatches a plan to take away Pepe's hat-and the fame it brings-a chase through streets, weddings, and movie theaters ensues, ending with the cat cornered in a playground sandbox. Just as Pepe is about to get his sombrero back, a family nearby takes notice of him, and the little girl asks if they can take him home. Pepe looks at the family and at the cat holding the hat that made him so famous and tells the gato he can keep the sombrero. Pepe finally finds the precious love he has been seeking. Bright illustrations, quick action scenes, and warm humor are sure to draw the attention of young readers. This is a fun story, and its positive message about what is important in life will resonate with the picture book crowd. VERDICT A good addition for bilingual collections and collections where dog stories are popular.-Selenia Paz, Helen Hall Library, League City, TX

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2015
Preschool-G Pepe, a stray dog, encounters a sombrero. And with the sombrero on his head, Pepe becomes a rich and famous movie star. But in spite of fan letters and a doghouse mansion, Pepe is not happy. He wants a family. The twist comes when the previously most famous animal, Gato en Zapatos, becomes jealous and takes action by stealing Pepe's sombrero. The search for his missing hat leads Pepe to his perfect familythe one that needs a dog. This bilingual offering depicts a humorous and ultimately feel-good story where everyone, including Gato, finds a place to belong. The illustrations' setting is a modern place where people play and celebrate life. This enjoyable tale will be useful in a bilingual classroom.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)