Review: Carina Felina

Written by Carmen Agra Deedy
Illustrated by Henry Cole
New York: Scholastic Press, 2023. Picture Book.

This larger-than-life tale starts when a parrot, Pepe, falls in love with Carina Felina. Carina, unfortunately for Pepe, is a ravenous cat and she is on an eating spree. Carina eats anyone who disagrees with her and to anyone who tries to dissuade her she responds, "My name is Carina Felina, I take what I want and I eat what I wish. Now step out of my way or be my next dish!" Luckily, two little crabs have a plan to free the town from Carina's stomach.

This is one of my favorite books to read aloud to kids because it's so outlandish. The rhyme is easy to pick up and every time she eats someone, the book cumulatively narrates everyone who she's eaten before, similar to "This is the House that Jack Built." I also love how Deedy emphasizes the setting in Cuba by introducing Spanish words to describe the people who are being eaten. The words are translated in the text, but there is also a glossary in the back. All over, it's a very fun story designed to get kids laughing and repetitive enough to develop their story retelling skill.

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