The other day, while your child was playing outside, he found something small on the ground. It wasn’t much, just a penny.
There’s not a lot he can do with a penny anymore. It’s not enough to buy candy or gum, and it takes bunches of them to buy a toy. Even more for a new video game.
But his Abuelita (Spanish for “Grandmother”) always says he should save his money for a rainy day, and since a penny is money, he puts it away. (He has always wondered what rain has to do with anything, but, oh, well.)
In the new book, “Tía Isa Wants a Car,” by Meg Medina, illustrated by Claudio Muñoz, a little girl learns that her pennies can take her anywhere, no matter what the weather.
More than anything, her aunt, Tía Isa, wants a car.
She says so after work, when she gets home from the bakery. It should be a green car, the color of foamy water on the beach. That color would remind Tía Isa of the ocean that lapped outside her bedroom window when she was a little girl. Maybe she should get a car with wings in the back, like sea gulls.
But Tío (“Uncle”) Andrés laughs at her. The family’s not rich, he reminds her. Besides, she’s got more to worry about, like cooking dinner for him. Tía Isa tries to ignore him, but she knows that cars are expensive and that most of her money must be sent back home to Mami and Papi.
Yet, Tía Isa wants a car and her mind’s made up. She speaks to the man who sells cars, but he tells her that she doesn’t have enough cash. She says they’ll have some soon, but “soon” can take forever.
Still, there are always other ways. Señor Leo might have a few odd jobs he’d pay to finish. La vieja (“elderly”) Maria might need someone to help feed her windowsill cats. Miss Amy at la biblioteca (“the library”) has been asking for español (“Spanish”) lessons.
Tía Isa wants a car, but she’s getting sad. Why does saving money take so long? Will she ever have enough to “vamos” on her own four wheels?
She might — with just a little help.
Like most of us, kids enjoy getting new possessions. And, like many of us, they have a hard time saving up for a big want. What they’ll see in this book just might inspire them.
“Tía Isa Wants a Car” tells the cute story of doing something difficult to make a dream come true, even though it takes a long time. I loved the way Medina gives her little heroine a can-do attitude in helping her Tía, along with the satisfaction of seeing her efforts make a difference. Muñoz’s illustrations are wonderfully expressive, further allowing the love between Tía and her niece to shine through.
Little spendthrifts, ages 3 to 7, will want to save time to hear this story read aloud. For them, “Tía Isa Wants a Car” is a good book, rain or shine.
“Tía Isa Wants a Car” by Meg Medina, illustrated by Claudio Muñoz [32 pages, Candlewick Press, 2011, $15.99] is recommended for children ages 3-7.
Terri Schlichenmeyer has been reading since she was 3 years old, and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill with two dogs and 12,000 books.
