Back of Book:
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
Bella wants to find out what she’s good at. But she quits everything she (barely) tries because she’s a disaster at it. Her somersaults are like clumsy jirafas rolling downhill, her piano playing like elephant feet. When she decides to learn how to bake with her wise old abuela, her first attempt at dulce de leche frosting looks like scaly cocodrilo skin. She must learn it’s okay to try again or she won’t be good at anything. Peppered with Spanish vocabulary and set in an intergenerational Latinx home
My Review:
I received a copy of this picture book from Beaming Book Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Bella’s Recipe for Success by debut author Ana Siqueira is a fantastic Latinx voice that focuses on the theme of having a growth mindset.
Bella is trying to find what she’s good at and tries comparing herself to the members of her family. When she tries to bake polvorones with her Abuela, “Oh,no!” But Abuela says, “You can always try again.” Bella feels defeated but with a few more tries, and encouragement from Abeula, Bella finally creates yummy dulce de leche. The first-person narrative of the text allows readers to connect with Bella’s frustration and success. The illustrations by Geraldine Rodríguez are filled with detailed colors that bring the story to life. As a teacher, I love sharing books with my students about the importance of practicing, and not giving up. The back of the book also includes a recipe that I can’t wait to try.
Ages 5 and up
32 Pages
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