Sonia Sotomayor

November 23, 2009
Winter (Barack
) offers an impressionistic, at times repetitive, bilingual biography of Supreme Court justice Sotomayor. The author explains that Sotomayor's mother, raising her two children in the South Bronx, “worked night and day, day and night” to support them and pay their private school tuition after their father died, “leaving just an empty chair and much sadness.” Determined to become a judge, Sotomayor also worked hard: “while other kids may have been goofing off, Sonia was studying at her mother's kitchen table—year after year after year after year.” Though it effectively conveys Sotomayor's personality and accomplishments, Winter's conversational narrative rambles; of her Supreme Court nomination, he writes, “This was huge (Gulp.) There had never been a Latin American on the Supreme Court. How strange this was!” Rodriguez's (Sergio Makes a Splash!
) mixed-media illustrations feature chalky textures, gauzy coloring, and sketchy linework, providing competent portraits of Sotomayor and President Obama in a palette of grassy greens and terra cotta that particularly bring to life scenes from her Bronx childhood. An author's note offers additional details about Sotomayor's life. Ages 4–8.

January 1, 2010
K-Gr 3-Winter chronicles the life of the first Latina Supreme Court justice, from her childhood in the Bronx to her historic nomination. The tone is upbeat from its opening line: You never know what can happen. Sotomayor certainly had a lot of obstacles to overcome: poverty, juvenile diabetes, and the death of her father when she was nine. But Winter clearly identifies hard work, determination, and a loving extended family as the keys to her success. The author is honest about how her socioeconomic background sometimes made her feel alienated at Princeton University. The emphasis, though, is on her ability to thrive like a flowering vine that would not stop growing. Images of flowers blooming unify the text and the illustrations. Rodriguezs warm yellows and oranges also underscore the optimism of Winters text. Moreover, the variety of media used (pastel, acrylic, spray paint, and oil-based paints) perfectly echoes the rich textures of Sotomayors life. The Spanish translation is excellent and makes the book accessible to Latino families. Sotomayors story can inspire children of all ethnic, racial, and economic backgrounds to work hard and pursue educational and professional success."Mary Landrum, Lexington Public Library, KY"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2009
Grades K-3 Born and raised in a poor neighborhood of the South Bronx, Sotomayor has just become the first Latina Supreme Court justice, and this timely, accessible picture-book biography, which features both English and Spanish text on every page, brings Sotomayors exciting rags-to-riches story to young readers. The exclamatory tone is sometimes too much (Oh, how Sonias mother loved her!). But Winter lets the small details convey the drama, which is amplified in the mixed-media illustrations in warm shades of red and brown. Growing up with her loving, single-parent mom in a family that surrounded Sonia like a warm blanket, Sotomayor was a big reader as a child and wanted to be Nancy Drew. After being diagnosed with diabetes, she had to learn to accept her physical limits, but she graduated at the top of her high-school class and then at the top of her Princeton class. She felt different from her privileged classmates, and kids of all backgrounds will recognize the universal emotions and experiences of trying to fit in. A long authors note fills in more biographical detail.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2010
Sotomayor's inspiring life is described in this picture book biography. The story begins in a South Bronx housing project and sees her through Princeton, early judgeships, and finally the U.S. Supreme Court. Though the writing (in English and Spanish) is overblown ("her blossoming began with her mother's love and hard work"), Winter makes his subject accessible. Rodriguez's mixed-media illustrations are warmly expressive.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)