William C. Morris Award winner Isabel Quintero (Gabi, a Girl in Pieces) makes her picture book debut with this loving tribute to her father and the city where she grew up. In My Papi Has a Motorcycle, the Mexican American author uses her signature lyrical and spare style to capture the joyous and thrilling moments shared between young Daisy and her papi as they ride his motorcycle through their Corona, Calif., neighborhood.
"When he lifts me onto the smooth black seat his hands don't feel rough, they don't feel tired--they feel like all the love he has trouble saying." Daisy treasures this daily ritual and the time spent with her soft-spoken father as they pass beloved landmarks like the neighborhood panadería and her grandmother's church. Quintero infuses this slice-of-life tale with small moments of tension, such as signs of gentrification--"as we near the shop, we see that it's empty and out of business. I can tell Papi is disappointed"--and dog chases. The narrative is also peppered with bits of history and mentions of the work that immigrants did (and do) to shape U.S. culture and history. Zeke Peña's fluid watercolor and digital art evokes the circuitous journey and the warmth that envelops the father-daughter pair. Featuring close-up facial expressions, graceful body movements and quote bubbles in English and Spanish hanging above characters' heads throughout, Peña's experience as a comics artist shines through. Every corner of each page is filled with rosy and vibrant renderings, never overwhelming, but always intentional and emotive. --Shelley Diaz, supervising librarian, BookOps: New York Public Library & Brooklyn Public Library