“Tía Isa wants a car.” But there’s no quick gratification for either Tía Isa or her niece, the young narrator of this satisfying story. Even though Tía Isa has been saving, she doesn’t yet have enough money for the car she dreams of buying: “'The same shiny green as the ocean that lapped outside my bedroom window,’ she says. When Tía Isa was a girl, the air on her island smelled of wet palm fronds and mud.” Tía Isa keeps saving, and eventually her niece gets odd jobs in the neighborhood and starts saving, too. In the end, enough time has passed that not only does Tía Isa get her car, but the girl’s parents are finally home again from their native country, where they’d been caring for her ill abuela. Wonderful descriptions and an abundance of warmth distinguish this story of family, community, love, and longing eventually fulfilled. Spanish words are woven seamlessly into the narrative and defined in context, while the illustrations extend the sense of warmth and add cultural details to the story. Highly Commended, 2012 Charlotte Zolotow Award (Ages 4–8)

A little girl pitches in to help her tía save up for a big old car - and take the whole family to the beach - in a story told with warmth and sweetness.

Tía Isa wants a car. A shiny green car the same color as the ocean, with wings like a swooping bird. A car to take the whole family to the beach. But saving is hard when everything goes into two piles - one for here and one for Helping Money, so that family members who live far away might join them someday. While Tía Isa saves, her niece does odd jobs for neighbors so she can add her earnings to the stack. But even with her help, will they ever have enough? Meg Medina’s simple, genuine story about keeping in mind those who are far away is written in lovely, lyrical prose and brought to life through Claudio Muñoz’s charming characters.