J. ALBORG ESCARTI

En Frank Machianno és un sicari a sou retirat que va trencar els seus llaços amb la màfia de San Diego molts anys enrere. El passat, però, no queda tan lluny i un bon dia truquen a la seva porta: ha

PreSchool-Grade 2-In this tribute to the power of positive thinking, rhyming verses describe how Sid, a young hound, experiences an uplifting revelation on his morning trip to school: a joyful feeling "filled him up so much he found/his paws just lifted off the ground." Once airborne, he twirls and swirls "like a doggy-shaped balloon" for the rest of the journey. Alas, his fellow canines can''t get past their own grounded paws and refuse to believe him. Even his teacher points out, "All dogs walk and jump and run,/but dogs don''t fly-it can''t be done." Finally, when a classmate asks Sid to demonstrate his new ability, the now-unhappy pooch is unable to get off the ground. Dazed and dejected, he returns home with his self-confidence destroyed. Sid''s parents soon come to the rescue, as his dad reveals a secret he''s kept for ages. Done in gouache, the illustrations glow with bright colors as the excited pup leaps off the page in delighted flight. A variety of perspectives and the range of expressions on the characters'' faces will entertain readers. A wonderful addition to any library and a great choice for storytime, this book will speak to children facing new situations or lacking self-esteem. Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TX

Una mirada de conjunto dirigida a la plenitud del siglo XVII nos proporciona la evidencia de hallarnos en una etapa literaria enteramente distinta de la anterior, pero ya no es tan haacedero delimitar sus orillas. Situar a Cervantes dentro del Barroco puede resultar tan arriesgado como emplazarlo con el Renacimiento; como veremos, Cervantes realiza -a nuestro juicio- la sintesis genial de ambos periodos, pero no faltan quienes le asignan con exclusividad los caracteres de uno solo de ellos. Pfandl, por ejemplo, afirma que Cervantes no era "nada barroco", mientras que Hatzfeld lo estudia de lleno como a tal.