Jose and Feliz play Futbol by Susan Rose and Silvia Lopez, illustrated by Gloria Felix

 I don't often review bilingual books; although I try to keep this collection updated, it's not a very popular area. We do have a small population of Hispanic folks in our town, but most of them do not read Spanish and while they do use the library, books are not often something they're looking for. We tend to focus more on our special needs population, which is much larger. Anyways, I do occasionally get asked for materials for schools and individuals and when I purchase Spanish-language or bilingual materials I focus on younger titles. I was very excited to see this new title which is a beginning chapter featuring sports! something I'm always looking for, but also includes some Spanish language.

Jose is super excited because he's been chosen for the soccer team, el equipo de futbol! He practices hard and discovers that his dog, Feliz, is also a great player, although he doesn't always play the right way. When Feliz comes to Jose's first practice, he comes on the field and they decide to make him their team's mascot. At their first game, Jose is worried Feliz will misbehave, but he does everything just right!

Simple color illustrations fill each page with the text in a small font against blue sky or cream walls. This is being published as an early reader, but I would not put it in that category for several reasons. It's a small paperback, 7.5 x 5 inches, and the text is in a much smaller font than is typical for an easy reader. The text is also lengthier, using simple sentences but including dialogue, Spanish words, and short paragraphs. I am not a huge fan of the small size of these books - they feel awkward and hard to read, unlike the wider Acorn or Branches from Scholastic, but Penguin has been publishing and republishing many of their popular easy readers and beginning chapters, like Fenske's squirrel titles, in this format.

Verdict: This is a stand-out offering, featuring a popular subject, sports, Hispanic characters, and integrating Spanish language. While the format is not ideal, it will fit very well into the paperbacks in my bilingual section. This is the second book in the series, the first introducing Jose and Feliz, and I hope there will be future titles - with more sports!

ISBN: 9780593521199; Published November 2023 by Penguin Workshop; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library (first title in series purchased)