THE GREAT AND MIGHTY NIKKO
by Xavier Garza ; illustrated by Xavier Garza
What’s better than one wrestler jumping on the bed? Ten of them!
Nikko’s mom is not amused. But it’s not his fault. Nine lucha libre wrestlers are just too much for one kid to handle. Or are they? Between Nikko’s narrative dialogue bubbles and electric-starburst interjections from Mom, this fun, fully bilingual counting book is just the thing to settle down unruly luchadores everywhere. With wrestlers to the left and wrestlers to the right, Nikko is stuck in the middle—just in time for a bout of bedtime bedlam in a twin-sized ring, ropes and all. Garza’s palette of roaring red, overwhelming orange, yelling yellow, Pepto pink, and gagging green is perfect for the black-outlined, vibrant illustrations that catapult across the comic-book–style frames. Appropriate Arabic numerals complement the mayhem in the corners of the spreads. The individual masks and costumes of the luchadores are wonderfully detailed, from the jaguar’s spotted cape to Mighty Nikko’s belted singlet. A glossary and pronunciation guide would have made this an exceptional book, but even without these aids to bridge the culture gap between young wrestling fans nationwide, this rambunctious addition to the world of bedtime and early concept books stands out.
One, uno; two, dos; three, tres…¡LUCHA! (Bilingual picture book. 3-6)