Published by Nancy Paulsen Books
Summary: A young boy tells about his father’s work as a bricklayer. “Mi papi es fuerte–my papi is strong,” he says, as he describes the way his father uses bricks and mortar to build. As Papi works with bricks, the boy works with books at school. Both of them dream about having “nuestra casa para siempre”–an always house. One Saturday, Papi says he has a surprise, and the two of them go off in his truck. They arrive at a new house made of his dad’s bricks. The story ends with him going to bed, dreaming of life in their new house. 32 pages; ages 4-8.
Pros: A heartwarming family tale with colorful collage illustrations. The Spanish words and sound effect words (WHIRRRRRRR, WHOOSH) bring the story to life.
Cons: It seemed like the house was built in a week, or at least a very short period of time.
