Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match / Marisol McDonald no combina

Marisol is different, everyone tells her. Marisol likes to wear polka dotted shirts and striped pants. Marisol has brown skin and red hair and freckles. Marisol likes to eat peanut butter and jelly on burritos. Marisol speaks Spanish and English. Marisol no combina; Marisol doesn't match.

I loved reading this book in Spanish to my bilingual children at school and seeing how many of them identify with Marisol. I identified with Marisol, too, growing up with a Catholic mom from a city in the North and a Baptist dad from the country in the South, always feeling like I don't match, but never really caring. I admired Marisol's courage in creating fun new ideas from tired old ones.

“My teacher, Ms. Apple, doesn't like the way I sign my name. ‘Marisol McDonald,' she says, ‘this doesn't match! At school we learn to print and use cursive, but not at the same time.'

But I like the way looks.”