SUPER OSCAR

Besides daydreaming, young Oscar’s favorite activity is his neighborhood’s Saturday picnics. But when he forgets to deliver their “assignments” to everyone one week, it looks like the picnic will have to be cancelled. Instead, Oscar decides to make all the preparations himself. Kopelke’s slightly skewed illustrations feature soft colors—whether in warm washes of green and blue or in the details of a checked shirt—angular facial features, and the aerodynamic bodies of the squirrels and birds that assist the boy and provide his musical entourage. The pictures reflect the text’s good humor and add to its information; only in the illustrations will the young reader learn that Oscar makes the guacamole by stomping the ingredients in a wading pool and whips the cream for the strawberry shortcake by jumping rope in an enormous metal tub full of milk. These activities also reveal boxer de la Hoya’s concern with physical fitness, likewise addressed in a supplemental essay for parents. Both English and Spanish texts, presented in cloud-like bubbles, are idiomatic and supple. This simple story, suffused with good feelings and elevated by wry artwork, marks a notable debut for its celebrity author. (Picture book. 4-8)