MIGUEL'S COMMUNITY GARDEN

In this picture-book read-along, narrators Andres Munar and Lewis Touna take listeners on a tour of garden bounty. Miguel, a boy of color, seeks sunflowers to adorn a garden party. Munar first describes a sunflower's key attributes and then a sequence of fruits and vegetables, each sharing one similarity with sunflowers. Miguel, portrayed by Touna, asks, "Is that a sunflower?"--only to learn that it is an apricot, an artichoke, a cherry, or a different type of flower. Touna's contribution is small in terms of lines read but large in effect as Miguel's infectious enthusiasm flags with each disappointment, his voice becoming an exhausted rasp. Pleasant sound effects and gentle music keep the mood light, and illustrator Samara Hardy includes lots for youngsters to look at. A tasty treat. V.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2023]