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annsantori's review
4.0
LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. Mixing Latinx folklore with social-emotional elements mixing with an immigrant/refugee story . . . chef's kiss.
mldavisreads's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Picture book with Spanish words sprinkled throughout. El Cucuy is the Mexican Bogeyman. He just moved with Ramon, his personal kid to scare it seems, and Ramon's family to a new place not like the desert they were used to. When El Cucuy tries to scare Ramon before bed, Ramon admits that "other things are scarier to me now." So instead of being scared or scary they share a heartfelt conversation. They miss their old casita, the animals sound different outside, and they don't know what school will be like. Then they reminisce about all the fun times they shared, with El Cucuy trying to scare Ramon and Ramon bravely standing up to him. The end has them agreeing that they are both strong and brave as they head off on the school bus.
The illustrations in this book are great- bold colors and simple shapes. The scenes at school feature a diversity of skin tones, but Ramon is clearly recognizable. The story is heartwarming as two characters that are assumed to have an antagonistic relationship actually support each other. The Spanish is not Italicized or in a glossary, and the only word with pronunciation guidance is El Cucuy (which is good since he appears regularly). This has the effect of normalizing "Spanglish," as the two characters slip between English and Spanish seamlessly. A good story for introducing anxieties, especially but not only as they relate to back-to-school.
The illustrations in this book are great- bold colors and simple shapes. The scenes at school feature a diversity of skin tones, but Ramon is clearly recognizable. The story is heartwarming as two characters that are assumed to have an antagonistic relationship actually support each other. The Spanish is not Italicized or in a glossary, and the only word with pronunciation guidance is El Cucuy (which is good since he appears regularly). This has the effect of normalizing "Spanglish," as the two characters slip between English and Spanish seamlessly. A good story for introducing anxieties, especially but not only as they relate to back-to-school.
asiqueira1307's review
5.0
What a cute story. El Cucuy, a scary creature, who goes after disobedient kids, in this story is a very brave, but also scared creature. Ramon and El Cucuy talk about their fears of the unknown: new house, new place, and especially new school. While Ramon tries to console El Cucuy and shows everything will be okay after all, he discovers they are both brave. The illustrations add so much to the story, their facial and body expressions show us how nervous they are. This is a must for kids going to their first day of school or changing to a new school. Very kid-friendly and filled with humor, kids will giggle and learn so much with this story.
mutuallyinclusive's review
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
5.0
El Cucuy Is Scared, Too! follows a young boy named Ramon who is settling into his new home, but is feeling nervous about his first day at school. El Cucuy (the Mexican Boogeyman) comes to scare Ramon at night, but Ramon has too many other fears to be afraid. But as it turns out, El Cucuy is scared, too. El Cucuy misses their home just like Ramon—he doesn’t like the new sounds of their home or that there are fewer dark spaces for him to hide in. Ramon and El Cucuy share their worries and build each other up to face the school day, realizing they are both brave and strong. I absolutely love El Cucuy Is Scared, Too! for all those young reader who need a reminder that they can do hard things.
The illustrations are fantastic, too. The bold colors throughout are eye catching, but I think my favorite part is how cute El Cucuy is. I never thought the Boogeyman could be so adorable!
There is quite a bit of Spanish peppered throughout the English text, but it is done seamlessly. It doesn’t read like a forced Spanish vocabulary lesson, but simply like a conversion between two bilingual friends. Presenting the opportunity to discuss Mexican folklore and the Spanish language, El Cucuy Is Scared, Too! would be a great addition to school and classroom libraries—especially for a first day read-aloud.
Thank you so much to Abrams Books For Young Readers for sending me a review copy of this adorable book. It was such a lovely read!
The illustrations are fantastic, too. The bold colors throughout are eye catching, but I think my favorite part is how cute El Cucuy is. I never thought the Boogeyman could be so adorable!
There is quite a bit of Spanish peppered throughout the English text, but it is done seamlessly. It doesn’t read like a forced Spanish vocabulary lesson, but simply like a conversion between two bilingual friends. Presenting the opportunity to discuss Mexican folklore and the Spanish language, El Cucuy Is Scared, Too! would be a great addition to school and classroom libraries—especially for a first day read-aloud.
Thank you so much to Abrams Books For Young Readers for sending me a review copy of this adorable book. It was such a lovely read!
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librarianryan's review
emotional
medium-paced
4.0
Such a lovely and unexpected story. I don’t know much about the culture of Southern US/Mexico territory so learning about El Cucuy (aka the Mexican Boogeyman) was really interesting. In this case Ramon and El Cucuy have moved north and things are quite a bit different. The two comfort each other as they start this new life adventure. This was a great story. I loved the mix of Spanish and English with no explanations. This was a great read.
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