June 10, 2024
Wielding visual power in this wordless picture book, Rodriguez renders a story of a childhood friendship enacted in the branches of a mango tree. Across a wide ocean landscape, an island rises dominated by the tree. Subsequent images close in on a forest and village, and then the tree itself, planted in a container, in which two children—one brown-skinned, one pale-skinned—spend their days. From flying kites to maintaining a dovecote, the two are inseparable, until a storm carries one—clinging to the contained mango tree—away to a new land. There, amid blue-skinned human figures, the child plants the lone mango left on the branches. Bold graphic images, created with a combination of oil-based printing inks, sumi ink, and digital media, employ a tightly controlled palette and woodblock textures. An author’s note, provided in both English and Spanish, concludes. Ages 4–8.
July 1, 2024
In this wordless picture book, two boys make a mango tree (or mata de mango) their hideout -- napping, eating juicy mangos, and even taunting some fearsome creatures from the safety of its branches. When a vicious storm blows through their island, it whisks away the mango tree in its boat-like pot, along with one child. After a choppy night at sea, boy and tree land on another island, with unfamiliar people and vegetation. The boy plants the last mango from the tree, and as a new tree grows, it becomes a space to play and enjoy its fruit for a crowd of children. Rodriguez's striking wood block and digital illustrations in a limited color palette are dynamic and well-balanced, with the sunset-glow of a mango guiding viewers through even the darkest spreads. Although the story itself is fantastical, the author's note -- provided in both English and Spanish -- explains how Rodriguez was inspired by his own experience of migration and by the mango tree and best friend he left behind. Monica de los Reyes
(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
Starred review from July 12, 2024
K-Gr 3-Two young friends enjoy time together in the shade of a mango tree until one of them is unexpectedly taken away in this wordless picture book. The two boys enjoy the delicious mangoes, fly kites, build homes for doves in the branches of the tree, take naps, and avoid friendly and possibly not-so-friendly animals waiting for them on the ground. When a sudden storm sweeps the mango tree away to the sea, one boy watches as his friend is carried away together with the tree. After a perilous journey, the tree and the boy arrive in a new place with unfamiliar people. He uses the only remaining mango, still clinging to a branch, to grow a new tree, and they soon share in its bounty. Having never forgotten his beloved friend, he sends a dove back carrying a mango, where his friend can now plant it on their island and grow a new bountiful mango tree. Riveting illustrations with greens, yellows, and reds show the joy the boys share together, and these are overtaken by darker blues during the storm and its aftermath, with lighter colors returning along with hope. No words are needed, as the spreads convey emotions on every page. Readers can return to each page to find something new with each read. An author's note in both English and Spanish provides an even deeper meaning to the text. VERDICT A powerful story conveying the strength of friendship and full of resilience, this lovely picture book is highly recommended.-Selenia Paz
Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from September 1, 2024
In this poignant, wordless picture book, a ferocious storm separates two friends. A tall mango tree stands in the center of an island teeming with creatures great and small. In a village on the island, two children--one blond-haired and light-skinned, the other dark-haired and brown-skinned--climb and play on the tree, flying colorful kites, feasting on its luscious fruit, and even evading fierce beasts. Rodriguez's textured, vivid woodblock-printed artwork imbues these serene childhood scenarios with well-worn wistfulness. Landscapes of blue skies and warm sunlight set a suitable backdrop against the sturdy mango tree. Then, dark clouds unexpectedly creep in on a standout double-page spread showing each child asleep on a long tree limb, separated by the book's gutter. A vicious storm sweeps across the island, blowing the mango tree and the dark-haired child away. Adrift at sea, the lost child avoids oceanic creatures under the moonlight, eventually washing ashore on unfamiliar land. There, a community of black-haired, blue-skinned people welcomes the young newcomer, who resurrects the mango tree on new soil to send a message back home. Inspired by youthful experiences per an author's note (presented in both English and Spanish), Cuban American Rodriguez's latest is a touching tribute to the uplifting joys of friendship and the thrilling unknowns of adventures, told with acute detail from a child's perspective. Simply spellbinding.(Picture book. 4-8)
COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
July 1, 2024
In this wordless picture book, two boys make a mango tree (or mata de mango) their hideout -- napping, eating juicy mangos, and even taunting some fearsome creatures from the safety of its branches. When a vicious storm blows through their island, it whisks away the mango tree in its boat-like pot, along with one child. After a choppy night at sea, boy and tree land on another island, with unfamiliar people and vegetation. The boy plants the last mango from the tree, and as a new tree grows, it becomes a space to play and enjoy its fruit for a crowd of children. Rodriguez's striking wood block and digital illustrations in a limited color palette are dynamic and well-balanced, with the sunset-glow of a mango guiding viewers through even the darkest spreads. Although the story itself is fantastical, the author's note -- provided in both English and Spanish -- explains how Rodriguez was inspired by his own experience of migration and by the mango tree and best friend he left behind.
(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)