Informational backmatter and author’s sources are extensive. In each instance, their shared joy for music and dance ultimately shines through any upsets-a valuable reflection of unity. For example, in one chapter Rafi finds out that he attracts a larger audience playing his homemade güiro with Rosi’s help even though he initially excluded her: “Big brothers only.” Even when he makes mistakes, as the older brother, Rafi consoles Rosi when she is embarrassed or angry at him. The stories focus on Rafi and Rosi’s relationship within a musical context.

A glossary at the beginning sets readers up well to understand the Spanish vocabulary, including accurate phoneticization for non-Spanish speakers. Readers learn along with Rafi and Rosi as they explore bomba, plena, and salsa in three chapters. The fourth installment in Delacre’s early-reader series centers on the rich musical traditions of Puerto Rico, once again featuring sibling tree frogs Rafi and Rosi Coquí. Childlike drawings, often embellished with hand-lettered narrative or speech bubbles, of round-headed humans, Sendak-ian monsters and a snaggle-toothed witch add to the humor. Often just on the edge of out of control, this inventive child is irresistible and her voice, convincing. Redeemed in the eyes of her siblings because she’s brave enough to retrieve a bouncy ball from the toilet as well as wildly imaginative, Rascal finally gets her wish. Eventually, the witch is vanquished and order more or less restored. Nuggy (he doesn’t look much like a fairy godmother), use the ensuing timeout to concoct poison soup for the witch. Rascal and her invented fairy godmother, Mr. She maintains her dogginess all the way through a doctor’s checkup until a surprise vaccination spurs her to speech and retaliation. As a “dog,” she’s invisible to the little-girl–stealer but appealing to her older brother, who, it turns out, always wanted to have a dog. In her efforts to avoid capture, Rascal becomes a dog. So they tell her a kidnapping witch, Mrs. She acts like a baby, she asks weird questions, and she chatters endlessly with her imaginary monster friend. Rascal’s siblings complain that she’s always pestering them.

With words, pictures and pictures with words, 6-year-old Dory, called Rascal, recounts how she finally gets her older brother and sister to play with her.

Fantasmagory