Rudas--Niño's Horrendous Hermanitas

Starred review from October 24, 2016
Luchadores beware: Niño’s younger sisters, Las Hermanitas, step into the ring in this wildly rambunctious sequel to Niño Wrestles the World (2014), and as rudas, they don’t play by the rules. Channeling an announcer’s bravado (“¡Madre! Will anyone be spared from their Pampered Plunder?”), Morales show the girls taking down such rivals as El Extraterrestre and El Chamuco with moves like the “Poopy Bomb Blowout” and “Tag Team Teething,” accompanied by sound effects scattered across the pages in explosive, graffiti-like bursts. The energy in Morales’s punchy artwork is dialed up to the max, and the finale demonstrates that a good book can pacify even the most ferocious of opponents. Ages 4–8. Agent: Charlotte Sheedy, Charlottte Sheedy Literary.

July 15, 2016
Pint-sized luchador Nino captured readers' imaginations in the Pura Belpre Award-winning title Nino Wrestles the World (2014). Now he is back, but this time his baby sisters, Las Hermanitas, have come to steal the show.Childlike drawings on the opening endpapers explain that luchadores are divided into two categories: tecnicos (good guys) and rudos (bad guys). Las Hermanitas are definitely rudas. Nino is playing with some familiar characters, El Extraterrestre and La Llorona, when Las Hermanitas burst onto the scene and the rumble begins. They take on their opponents one by one and use whatever rotten means necessary to crush the competition, starting right off with a move called the Poopy Bomb Blowout. The action and humor continue until only Nino can bring an end to his little sisters' destruction. This follow-up uses the same playful, graphic illustration style and vibrant color palette seen in the original. Several Spanish words and phrases appear in the callouts and speech bubbles, many of which are defined in the closing endpaper illustrations. The English text is peppered with alliteration, onomatopoeia, and a few words that will stretch young readers' growing vocabulary (such as "phenomenal" and "preposterous"). The overall effect is a narrative that begs to be read aloud. A rowdy, raucous return for Nino and a dazzling debut for his most worthy rivals. (Picture book. 3-7)

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December 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-Sibling rivalry just got real. Nino returns for another round in the ring, but this time his opponents are his incredibly rude baby sisters. Readers will delight as the innocuous-looking hermanitas attack with moves like the Poopy Bomb Blowout and cheer for Nino as he and his fellow tecnicos counter with a Look-and-Book Diversion. With comic book-style speech bubbles and action, Morales offers an endlessly entertaining and ultimately sweet selection on sibling bonds and the power of storytelling.

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2016
Preschool-G *Starred Review* There is only one Nino, the lively little luchador (red-masked wrestler). And in a sequel to Nino Wrestles the World (2013), he is back for another alarming adventure. As the front endpapers explain, the Rudos are the tough guys who bend or break the rules, and Technicos are the good guys who use good manners and play nice. The bout begins in this corner with the Rudas Hermanitas, Nino's phenomenal, spectacular little sisters, nicknamed the Lucha Queens! They use techniques such as the Poopy Bomb Blowout (picture it) to gas opponents out of this world. Early in the match comes the stunning skateboard Nappy Freedom Break, followed by Tag-Team Teething biting. They tattle, they plunder, they screech and screamthese Rudas know no bounds. But Nino cleverly traps the sisters, ends their dastardly deeds, and calms them with a book. Concluding end papers contain a colorful glossary, which translates some of the Spanish words, and hilarious pictures. With acrylics and inks Morales depicts the spectacular battle between Nino and his two little sisters in brilliantly colored cartoons, as each page blasts our senses with eye-popping bold-font styles and bubble text and backgrounds of explosive stars. Another hit for award winner Morales!(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2017
This follow-up to Niqo Wrestles the World is brimming with action, humor, and heart. It's ticnicos ("Good guys") vs. rudos ("Tough guys") as Niqo recounts a spirited wrestling rumpus with his misbehaving little sisters. Morales's vibrant collages, filled with textures and zigzags, reflect the children's boisterous fun. Varied typefaces add to the chaos, while speech bubbles feature expressions in both English and Spanish.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 1, 2016
This follow-up to Nino Wrestles the World (rev. 7/13) is brimming with action, humor, and heart. It's tecnicos ( Good guys' who play by the rules ) vs. rudos ( Tough guys' who bend or break the rules ) as Nino recounts a spirited wrestling rumpus with his misbehaving little sisters. As Nino tries to draw a storybook in peace, las hermanitas burst into his space -- a page-turn transforming their big brother into a luchador, sporting sneakers, undies, and a signature mask. Cracking down on their opponents with incredibly rude feats such as the Poopy Bomb Blowout, las hermanitas cause a silly commotion and also disrupt Nino's make-believe buddies, some from Mexican lore. After Nino outsmarts his sore-loser sisters, they wail until Nino shares the book he created, delicately offering an opportunity for a successful seize and squeeze and pulling them close to revisit the excitement they just experienced. Morales's vibrant collages are filled with spongy textures and zigzags, reflecting the children's boisterous fun. Varied typefaces (ranging from announcer-style all-caps to colorful comic-book sound effects) add to the chaos, while speech bubbles echo the narrative by featuring expressions in both English and Spanish. Extra details (for example, Nino's name scribbled out with crayon markings and a toy block on top of the text) highlight the escapade as a product of the children's imaginative play; a cuddle at the end illuminates the joys and complexities of big-siblinghood. elisa gall

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from August 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-Nino is back in this rollicking adventure, but he takes backseat to the Rudas: his mischievous little sisters. The masked hero's siblings do not play by the rules, and they conquer each of their opponents with incredibly rude feats and moves that young readers will find familiar (and hilarious): the Poopy Bomb Blowout (smelly diapers), Tag Team Teething (painful bites), and Twofer Tattle (the innocent-looking hermanitas tell on their rivals). But Nino has tricks of his own and stuns the Lucha Queens with the art of storytelling. Morales's art amazes, from the endpapers to the glossary; her collage-style composition, vivid palette, and childlike, crayon-filled illustrations are just as charming as those in Nino Wrestles the World. The comic book-esque speech bubbles, varied fonts, and exaggerated facial expressions add to the work's laugh-out-loud moments. Spanish words and lucha libre lingo are peppered throughout, and their meanings can be easily discerned through the images, context, and the short glossary. Young readers will see themselves in this romp of a tale and will want it read aloud again and again. VERDICT Another winner by Morales, this ode to sibling scuffles and makeups will delight kids of all ages. Vivan las hermanitas!-Shelley Diaz, School Library Journal

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.