The Basics

Title: Picture Perfect
Author: Jacqueline Jules
ISBN: 9781479557738
Copyright Date: 2015
Publisher: Picture Book Windows
Reader Imprint: N/A
Level: N/A
Series: Sofia Martinez (The Missing Mouse, Abuela’s Birthday, The Marigold Mess)

Thoughts

Sofia is feeling left out. No one can tell her and her two older sisters apart and her baby cousin is stealing all the attention at family gatherings. When school picture day arrives, Sofia comes up with a plan to stand out from her sisters.

This is a higher level beginning reader for confident kiddos. (I’d put it on the same level as “Ling & Ting” personally in terms of chapter length.) Each chapter builds on a central story with a conclusion at the end of three chapters. Additionally, Spanish words are intermixed with the mainly English text. This may be confusing for non Spanish readers, but a helpful glossary is provided in the back.

So here’s why I think this is a worthwhile buy: Sofia is a great character with a high relatability factor. (Yes, I just made up a word.) I cannot think of another beginning reader series with a Latino/Latina main character except for media brands like Dora and Diego. Also, I think this would be a *great* sell to ESL students. A bit of Spanish may make the transition easier.

Three other Sofia books were released simultaneously and I hope to see more in the future.