Birthday in the Barrio / Cumpleaños en el Barrio

"Chavi is a strong, intelligent, and resourceful protagonist. Her ingenious efforts to organize a party not only demonstrate her skills but also a strong sense of her Cuban American neighborhood in Miami. Tonel. . . offers cartoonlike watercolors full of good-natured, unstoppable enthusiasm. . . A good choice, both for the heroine's can-do attitude and because, for a change, adults are seen following the lead of wise children."

"Dole's prose, in both English and Spanish, is exuberant, making use of colloquial expressions that reflect the nature of the Cubano neighborhoods of Miami. . . Visually interesting and fun to read aloud."

"[T]he brilliantly colored illustrations reflect the 'barrios' of southern Florida as well as the semi-tropical islands from which so many of its people originated. The importance of a girl's 15th birthday will be obvious to Latinos, but the story provides clues for non-Latinos as well. In addition, the warmth of family and community suffuses the tale and crosses all cultural boundaries."