Booklist, a book-review magazine that has been published by the American Library Association for more than 100 years, gave my latest illustrated effort, Pedro’s Yo-Yos, a positive review! Since you have to subscribe in order to read the reviews, I’ve refrained from posting the link. Instead, you can read the review in its entirety below:
Pedro Flores was a Filipino immigrant who brought the yo-yo to America and made it a worldwide phenomenon. In Peñas’ informative picture book, he describes how Flores overcame the challenges of living under colonial rule, migrating to a new country in 1915, and starting his own business from scratch. Opportunity knocked on his door when an American family took interest in a yo-yo he made for their son. Soon, everyone’s interest was piqued, and Flores spent his time carving yo-yos at night and demonstrating tricks with them during the day. The yo-yo became a sensation, and he expanded his homemade business to several factories. Flores’ determination and entrepreneurial spirit ensured that the yo-yo would capture the imagination of children and adults worldwide. The concise text, which nicely encapsulates key moments from Flores’ life, is beautifully accompanied by Angel’s naturalistic and expressive digital paintings, especially when depicting Flores’ impressive yo-yo tricks. Robust back matter elaborates on Flores’ life, the colonization of the Philippines, and the further history of the yo-yo.
— Vivian Alvarez
