Children's ✦ Penny’s Take
Esquivel! Space-Age Sound Artist
Susan Wood · 2016
88/100
👍 Worth It
This picture-book biography is a genuine delight — Duncan Tonatiuh's Mixtec-codex artwork is visually unlike anything else on the shelf, and Susan Wood's onomatopoeic text practically begs to be read aloud. It introduces kids to a Latino musical innovator most adults have never heard of, which is exactly the kind of gap a great picture book should fill. The longer text blocks push it toward upper elementary, but that only means there's more to enjoy.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
safety98
substance82
craft90
originality88
accuracy85
hype80
age-fit82
human-eye90
Penny’s verdict88
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