Member Reviews

I am not able to give honest feedback because I have no access to this book. My son was looking forward to reading it.

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A positively wonderful discovery for us. I am in love with this book and so are my little ones. In this story we follow Beto and his big sister Cora. Beto wants a tea party. Cora wants to be a pirate. Beto decides to create a map to help Cora the pirate reach the delicious treasure. Can they learn to understand the maps and work together? With beautiful illustrations that really captured the story we get to see where their imagination goes and how they work to problem solve. This was a wonderful way to introduce skills to my little ones. It showed maps in a fun way. I loved the diversity of this story and learning new words. We received this as an ebook ARC but we can’t wait to add it to our home library. We will be using this in our homeschool and can’t wait. Enjoy this adventure with your family.

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An absolutely adorable and fun book about problem solving! Beto is a cutie patootie, and his determination to get his little map accurate, is everything! So inspirational to children to remind them to never give up!

Loved the artwork in this book - super colorful and vibrant, keeping your eyes glued to the page. Also, the glossary at the end with Spanish words? Bueno!

Thank you NetGalley and Charlesbridge for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

* Love how this book is diverse, and that there is actually more books in this series, which I'll definitely be collecting for my son in the future.

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I thought that this book was really well done.

It is a fun story and I loved the characters, the illustrations are great too and help bring the story to life. I really liked the dual language approach with it helping children to learn another language with it having the English and Spanish transition.

The book was well written and easy to follow with a lovely flow to the story - I liked the treasure map approach and the ending.

It is 4.5 stars from me for this one, rounded up to 5 stars for Goodreads and Amazon - very highly recommended!

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Beautiful, fun illustrations and I like the Spanish words that were chosen. I appreciate that it's female sibling, Cora, who is into pirates. I wish there had been an aerial illustration of the house on one page so that it would be easier to understand why Beto's map was wrong each time. It would be great to be able to look at the aerial view to help a child understand why Cora didn't go to Beto's intended place based on each version of the drawing.

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Obsessed with this read and can’t wait to add it to our son’s library! I love the subtle inclusion of Beto’s hearing aid and the descriptions of how he “watches” instead of listening. THIS is representation — including characters with a variety of traits without hyperfocusing on those traits as the center of the story.
Orientation and map-making skills are taught in this sweet sibling story, but kids won’t be knocked over the head with the teaching aspect.
I also love the bilingual aspect of the book. An all-around must have.

Thank you so much to Charlesbridge, the author and NetGalley for the ARC!

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When siblings have differences when it comes to playing and making plans: also the parents should help too!

When Beto wants to play with his bigger sister, whatever he plans seems to upset her as her idea of playing seems quite different from his. However they get to play together eventually finding ways to play something they both enjoy.

This is such a good book that will tell the kids to be patient and thoughtful when it comes to playing together with their siblings and friends.

The illustrations are really good!

Thank you, Charlesbridge, for the ARC.

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Beto invites his sister Cora (who is a pirate fanatic) to a tea party by using a pirate map of their house to lead her to the party. Part of the Storytelling Math series, this is a great choice for lessons on reading and making a map. The full color digital illustrations are done in the style of a cartoon TV series, depicting the siblings with brown skin and black hair. They also use some Spanish vocabulary, and there is a glossary along with other ideas to explore mapping. Pair with Lalena Fisher’s Friends Beyond Measure (Harper, 2023) for a fun and fruitful lesson on map reading. Review based on an ARC.

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Such a quick and fun read for your little ones! I personally enjoyed the English and Spanish transition. Especially for someone like me who is teaching their toddler both English and Spanish. The message at the end of the story was another of my favorites.

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I really enjoyed the book from start to finish and am certain it will be a hit amidst young readers! The diversity portrayed through the characters' Beto and his sister Cora's appearances and their conversations sprinkled with Spanish words and phrases is refreshing. The author, Jenny Lacika, also breaks away from convention in describing the children's interests, breaking away from traditional gender roles.

The author's note and glossary offer further details regarding the children's ethnicity and interests. The book also intends to build children's skills in math and social skills through storytelling.

P.S. Splendid illustrations by Addy Rivera Sonda as well.

Overall, a great buy for your little one.

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A powerful story with invaluable lessons! My students would thoroughly enjoy this tale. As a teacher, I appreciate how it addresses the challenges of managing diverse personalities and interests in the classroom. The story beautifully illustrates the importance of compromise and adaptability, teaching children the value of considering others' perspectives and finding common ground. A wonderful resource for teaching social skills and empathy!

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What a darling book!! The illustrations were beautiful! I absolutely loved the plot and sweet story this held. My four kids adored this book. Wonderfully done

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A fantastic book for readers 3-6, with diversity (Beto wears a hearing aid; both children are Mexican-American), math (Beto relies on this for his treasure map), and terrific storytelling. Plus the illustrations are stellar. Recommended!

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This book offers so much value! 1. I'm an educational audiologist and noticed Beto's hearing aid instantly! Educators that work with students who use hearing aids will LOVE this inclusion. 2. Spanish vocabulary sprinkled in for exposure but wasn't overwhelming to this non-Spanish speaker. It also has a visually appealing mini glossary in the back to reference if needed. 3. Math in this book = map revisions with a super appealing delivery. 4. I love the sister's resilience in so many reattempts at trying to find the treasure - great conversation started for impatient young readers.

I think this book is GREAT, and I am going to make a point to check out other books in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jenny Lacika, and Charlesbridge for this eARC.

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