Sábado/Saturday

PrS-Gr 2–A family prepares for their daughter’s graduation in this practically wordless picture book. On Sunday, they go to the seamstress. On Monday, they order the cake. On Tuesday, they order the flowers. Each day counts down to a very special celebration on Saturday. The story is told mostly through images of the errands taking place on the assigned day that will eventually lead to the party scheduled at the end of the week. In the case of the seamstress, a sewing machine and the woman holding a measuring tape is featured. For Friday, the day before the graduation, the father is holding a folding chair and there are balloons scattered across the page. Garza was inspired by Aztec (Mexican) art, specifically the codices. The limited palette is marked by reds, blues, and yellows. The textured backdrop looks like white primer on paper. The trim size is smaller than most picture books, making it ideal for gift-giving, especially during the graduation season. While most of the days get only one spread, Saturday takes up five spreads, highlighting the importance of the accomplishment and the family’s pride and joy. Small details, like the little girl’s bow changing colors each day, make it that much more special. The family has brown skin, and an author’s note implies that the characters are also Indigenous.