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Tia Isa Wants a Car Paperback – Picture Book, February 23, 2016
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While Tía Isa wants to save money for a car that will take the whole family to the beach, her niece does odd jobs for neighbors. But it’s hard to save enough when half the money is set aside to someday bring family members who live far away to join them. Meg Medina’s simple, genuine story about keeping in mind those who are far away is written in lovely, lyrical prose and brought to life through Claudio Muñoz’s charming characters.
- Reading age3 - 7 years
- Print length32 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Grade levelPreschool - 2
- Lexile measureAD630L
- Dimensions9.06 x 0.15 x 10.56 inches
- PublisherCandlewick
- Publication dateFebruary 23, 2016
- ISBN-100763657522
- ISBN-13978-0763657529
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Editorial Reviews
Review
—Publishers Weekly
Besides the pleasant story, the interwoven Spanish and references to “Helping Money” and families divided by immigration may make the book particularly appealing to immigrant Latino children.
—Kirkus Reviews
The use of Spanish words throughout the book offers a learning tool, and the book can be used to show teamwork and determination. The watercolor illustrations reflect the fun, loving text in this appealing book.
—Library Media Connection
Always true to the child’s viewpoint, the story shows how hard it is to be separated from loved ones and how long it can take to reunite, and the lively, unframed illustrations in pencil, watercolor, and ink extend the sense of warmth and longing, first in the small room the girl shares with her aunt, then in the climax of everyone rushing into the waves, together at last.
—Booklist
The soft watercolor illustrations mirror rather than extend the text, a real strength for children more fluent in Spanish than English; they can visually follow the narrative told primarily in English but sprinkled with familiar phrases. Beginning readers will also find a satisfying story, with illustrations aiding their reading.
—Horn Book
A pleasant selection about ambition, resourcefulness, and never letting go of one’s dreams.
—School Library Journal
The picture of family life is easygoing but evocative, with Spanish words in dialogue effectively woven into the English text, and the close comradeship between the glamorous young aunt and the narrator is one that many youngsters will envy... Anybody who's felt trapped at home in a hot summer will recognize the lure of freedom and the glee of an open-air drive.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
This gentle story about the unbreakable bonds of family (and the joy of a sweet set of wheels) is as refreshing as a cool sea breeze on a summer day, and a lovely way to start a conversation with a youngster about their own family history.
—Virginian-Pilot
About the Author
Claudio Muñoz is an award-winning illustrator who has worked for many newspapers and magazines as well as illustrating several children’s books. Born in Chile, he now lives in England.
Product details
- Publisher : Candlewick; Reprint edition (February 23, 2016)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 32 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0763657522
- ISBN-13 : 978-0763657529
- Reading age : 3 - 7 years
- Lexile measure : AD630L
- Grade level : Preschool - 2
- Item Weight : 5.7 ounces
- Dimensions : 9.06 x 0.15 x 10.56 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #199,532 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #253 in Children's Hispanic & Latino Books
- #561 in Children's Fiction on Social Situations
- #6,385 in Children's Family Life Books (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
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Meg Medina served as the 2023-2024 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. She is the author of the Newbery Medal–winning book Merci Suárez Changes Gears, which was also a 2018 Kirkus Prize finalist, and which was followed by two more acclaimed books about the Suárez family: Merci Suárez Can’t Dance and Merci Suárez Plays It Cool. Her young adult novels include Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, which won the 2014 Pura Belpré Author Award, and which was published in 2023 as a graphic novel illustrated by Mel Valentine Vargas; Burn Baby Burn, which was long-listed for the National Book Award; and The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind. She is also the author of picture books No More Señora Mimí / No más Señora Mimí, Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away / Evelyn del Rey se muda, illustrated by Sonia Sánchez, Jumpstart’s 2020 Read for the Record selection; Mango, Abuela, and Me, illustrated by Angela Dominguez, which was a Pura Belpré Author Award Honor Book; and Tía Isa Wants a Car, illustrated by Claudio Muñoz, which won the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award; and biographies for young readers She Persisted: Sonia Sotomayor and She Persisted: Pura Belpré, the latter with Marilisa Jiménez García. The daughter of Cuban immigrants, she grew up in Queens, New York, and now lives in Richmond, Virginia.
Customer reviews
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Digital copy is missing letters on some pages
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2023gave to my daughter as Christmas gift-she has a son that needed to start learning about saving money-she then read the book on YouTube and had thousands of great reviews
- Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2019Fun book for our 20 month old girl who brings this book over for “one more book” requests. But it got to me the first few read throughs, there is a deeper component to this story that’s sad (regarding poverty and immigration) but that certainly not something the little ones would understand for several years. Very surprised how much it got to me but really happy to read our toddler’s current favorite book again and again.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2014Loved the book. Illustrations were bright and wonderful! A great multicultural find that kids I am sure will love to read!
- Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2011Tia Isa has one wish other than being reunited with her family far away, to have a car that will carry them to the beach. Money is tight though and much of her savings must go to her family back home. When her niece sees the difference between what Tia Isa has and what she needs she decides it's time for her to help. In no time they have the car Tia Isa dreamed of and a perfect day at the beach.
This is a story that all ages will love from children to adults because of it's beautiful illustrations and it's wonderful message. Being a "car girl" myself, I absolutely related to Tia Isa. One of the things I prided myself on when I was younger was owning my very own car that I paid for entirely on my own. It took a great deal of work and steady long hours at a job I wasn't always incredibly fond of, but my car was something that made it all worth it.
For Tia Isa and her niece, the car is not only a source of pride after long hours of work, but also a symbol of freedom. Freedom to drive where they choose and freedom to have the opportunity to purchase the car in the first place. I think that's the thing that continually surprises me about reading children's books, is that they have so many themes and opportunities to learn. In Tia Isa Wants A Car it's not only a wonderful message about the value of a good work ethic, but also about appreciating the freedoms we have and learning to value those around us.
Meg Medina has shared a seemingly simple story of a girl with a longing for a car of her own, but in the process has created a beautiful life from which we can learn so much from as adults & children. Tia Isa Wants A Car is a story about freedom, work ethic, sharing, kindness, joy and more. Filled with rich illustrations by Claudio Munoz, readers will be transported to a world years away but feel as though they know the characters before their eyes. Readers of Hispanic descent will be especially thrilled at the life and history shared in relation to Tia Isa's life. This is a picture book that should be shared with both children and adults, if for no other reason than to remember to live the lives we have to the fullest enjoying every moment the best we can no matter our situation.
Originally reviewed and copyrighted at my review site, There's A Book.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2018This book is so great. I've read it several times to my son, and it chokes me up everytime. I'm just shy of crying now, because it's such a beautiful portrait of some people in our world. I hope the author reads this review, because I absolutely love this story, and I want you to know that it touched my heart.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2019Wonderful art and story.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2017Lovely story, my 6-year old daughter loved it.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2021The 3 stars doesn't reflect the story. The story is great! However, many of the pages in the digital copy are missing random letters in some words (as seen in the second sentence of the uploaded picture). Would really appreciate if that was fixed and I was given a new copy without all of the typos.
3.0 out of 5 starsThe 3 stars doesn't reflect the story. The story is great! However, many of the pages in the digital copy are missing random letters in some words (as seen in the second sentence of the uploaded picture). Would really appreciate if that was fixed and I was given a new copy without all of the typos.Digital copy is missing letters on some pages
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2021
Images in this review