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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Salem Main Library | JP Velasquez | Searching... Unknown |
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Searching... McMinnville Public Library | Velasquez | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Where could Bongo be? Help a young boy find his beloved toy--and figure out how he got lost to begin with.
The boy knows Bongo was right there with him this morning--but suddenly, Bongo is missing. He asks his whole family if they've seen the stuffed toy. "Yo no sé," says abuela, "I don't know."
Mom and Dad haven't seen him either. And Gato just meows and runs away.
When he finds Bongo, the boy is thrilled--but he still doesn't understand how his toy ended up there. So he sets a trap to catch the Bongo thief. . . .
Eric Velasquez's detailed, expressive illustrations follow the boy's investigation throughout his home, giving a glimpse at a warm, multi-generational family.
A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
Author Notes
Eric Velasquez' awards include the John Steptoe / Coretta Scott King Award for new talent, a Pura Belpré Award, an NAACP Image Award, and a Carter G. Woodson Award. The son of Afro-Puerto Rican parents who encouraged music and storytelling, Eric grew up in Spanish Harlem, New York. He teaches illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology and lives in New York.
For Holiday House, he both wrote and illustrated Looking for Bongo , and he illustrated Ol' Clip-Clop: A Ghost Story by Patricia C. McKissack (Anne Izard Storyteller's Choice Award Winner, Georgia Children's Book Award, Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year--Outstanding Merit) and New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer (Jane Addams Peace Association Children's Book Award, Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, New York State Reading Association Charlotte Award).
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-An Afro-Latino boy searches for his missing stuffed toy. The adorable toddler, depicted charmingly with a puffy Afro, protruding tummy, inquisitive eyes, and pj's, inquires after the whereabouts of his beloved Bongo. The warm oil paintings illuminate in obvious and not-so-obvious ways the family's love of music, literature, and their African roots. Velasquez's Grandma's Records makes a cameo during the boy's bedtime ritual. And as in that previous title, this work's celebration of the diversity within Latinx culture will warm hearts. © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A little boy searches for his lost toy. An unnamed but adorable young boy awakens to find his beloved Bongo missing. Painterly oil illustrations show the boy looking under his covers and his bed to no avail. The opposite spread presents him standing in his pajamas and socks with an endearingly realistic questioning expression and stance. A search commences as he asks various family members (humans and pets alike) if they know Bongo's whereabouts. No one does, but particularly astute readers may discover a clue as to who is responsible for Bongo's disappearance. Spanish phrases in the dialogue are followed by their English translations in a matter-of-fact manner. Scenes such as one in which his mom combs his sister's hair lend a warm, cozy feel. In a twist, readers discover who spirited Bongo away through the protagonist's cleverness. Velasquez's portrayal of a family that is both black and Latino (a rarity in children's books) is refreshing. His clever (if not subtle) inclusion of his previous title (Grandma's Records, 2001) may lead readers to seek out that worthy story. Unfortunately, Spanish words are italicized, a decision that perhaps should have been rethought given recent debate about the exclusionary nature of the practice. Still, this simple story with a twist should have wide appeal. Darling. (glossary) (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
From the cover illustration of a boy on his knees, peeking around the corner with big, questioning eyes, mystery is inherent here. Special toy Bongo is missing, and his owner wants him back. He asks his abuela, the cat, the dog, and his father, and even interrupts his sister's hair teasing, but no one has seen the missing Bongo, now suspected to be stolen. Velasquez's text is a simple mix of English and easily decipherable Spanish, although a glossary at the end confirms translations. The illustrations of the narrator's quest are active, consisting of many gestures and close-up facial expressions, and the colors are warm creams, blues, and oranges. Home life is multigenerational and loving. The culprit, who is finally caught at the end, is a believable thief and makes this family all the more realistic. Pair with Where's Mommy? (2014), by Beverly Donofrio, for another story of lost and found.--Ching, Edie Copyright 2016 Booklist