Lupita’s Hurricane Palomitas

Gr 1-5–A hurricane is coming, and Lupita is scared. She hates hurricanes. While she and her family are preparing, Lupita discovers two baby pigeons, or palomitas, without their mother. Worried for their safety, Lupita takes them in. Lupita’s family prepares for the hurricane by adding shutters to windows and having a plan. When the storm gets worse and they hear sirens, they go into the closet with a flashlight. Both Alessandri with words and Kanavaliuk through the illustrations appealingly convey how Lupita and her family keep busy by caring for the baby birds and spending time with one another. Though things get scary and rebuilding is needed, there is a rainbow and the return of mother bird by the end of the day. Depicting the chaos of the situation and the bonds of family with equal fervor, the book’s message of working through a crisis can be applied to many situations; this is a great demonstration on how to be prepared in emergencies and the anxiety that comes with it.