Numero Uno

I gave a copy of this book to my niece for her sixth birthday. A year later she has read it so many times my brother has it nearly memorized. What more can you ask of a book than that it makes a child want to read it over and over?

Alex Dorros and Arthur Dorros' NUMERO UNO receives Susan Guevara's warm drawings as it tells of a small Mexican village where Hercules is known for strength and Socrates for knowledge. Each is important to the town - but the two bicker about who is the best. It's up to the clever villagers to devise a competition to decide who is 'numero uno' once and for all in this affectionate story of competition and importance.

NUMERO UNO is number one. Being an elementary school teacher, I really liked it for a variety of reasons. As you often hear students talking about why they are better or more important than someone else, this story gives them an opportunity to see that different people and different characteristics can be equally important. The point was made in a fun way, and the beautiful illustrations work well in capturing the dynamic personalities of Hercules and Socrates. After reading that Alex Dorros got the story idea when he was 12 years old, I thought it was wonderful that the story grew with his efforts over a number of years into a really strong book. The students I have read the book with have found it to be very enjoyable. Many of them were inspired to think harder about their own writing ideas when they found out this story was that of the younger Dorros team.

You know what instantly sounds like an awful idea for a picture book? A father-son writing team. Even worse, a father-son writing team where the son wrote a book when he was twelve and then the dad signed on later and got it made. Sounds icky-sticky sweet without any possible redeeming qualities,doesn't it? And your mind probably wouldn't be changed too much if you knew that the author in question was Arthur Dorros of Abuela fame either. Even good authors of picture books have been known to be suckered into poor writing decisions at the hands of their darling beloved offspring. But then, what if I told you that the illustrator was Susan Guevara? Which is to say The Great Susan Guevara? The woman who brought Gary Soto's Chato books so swimmingly to life? Certainly you'd be swayed neither way when I told you that the book, "Numero Uno" was a fable, but then you might actually get a chance to pick up and read the book. And in doing so your skepticism would just melt out of your ears, I assure you. Dorros and Son (as they shall hitherto be known) make a pretty good team. Add in a magnificent illustrator and a solid storyline and what once felt like an awful idea for a picture book turns into a fairly swell idea instead. In a small village in Mexico lived two men of monumental ego. On the one hand was Hercules. He thought himself a pretty primo guy due to his manly physical prowess. On the other hand there was Socrates. He's scoffed at the notion of muscles, placing his trust entirely in the realm of the cranium. As it happened, Hercules was in the construction business and Socrates the architectural side. So when a bridge needed to be built across the local river, both fellows felt they were of the greatest importance to the villagers. So vehemently did they fight about this that a contest was thought up by a local boy. Both men would leave the village and the people remaining would try to build the bridge without them. Whoever they missed more would be of the greatest importance to everyone. Well that's all well and good but that means that these two rivals have to spend time together in the wilderness. Bickering all the way, they find food, warmth, and shelter with a combination of brawn and brains, never realizing how much they rely on one another. Inevitably, when they return home they've both been equally missed. The bridge is completed with their help and there is at least one thing everyone can agree on. They may have missed their intelligence and strength but when it comes to arguing, nobody missed Hercules and Socrates one little bit. The writing doesn't feel like a twelve-year-old came up with it. Obviously Dorros Sr. did some cleaning up in that particular area, leaving a tidy little story in his wake. Spanish words are worked effortlessly into the text, cropping up best where they make the most sense. There's also enough repetition to keep the story hopping along. The old man in the village often says, "Basta!". Socrates and Hercules re

Reviewed by Brianne Plach (age 9) for Reader Views (5/07) I'm stronger than you are! I'm smarter than you are! Of course, we all have heard this from our brothers or sisters. And even from us. " Número Uno" has two main characters, Hercules and Socrates. They both claim to be the best and most helpful in building a bridge in their small town. Socrates came up with the idea of building the bridge but Hercules was sure he was more valuable. An old man and a young boy got tired of listening to these two fighting. Then these two go away and work out their differences. They were both so sure that they would be missed greatly. Instead when they return, they find out that they were missed, but not for their individual strengths; they were missed for their weakness. "Número Uno" is an excellent book about teamwork. It shows that claiming to be the most valuable does not pay. The pictures in this book are very beautiful and add joy to the script. There are Spanish words included in the script making this a great book for someone who is interested in that language. This book is geared for children ages 4-8. I am older than this book's target market but I really loved the story! Note from Brianne's mother: Brianne loved the pictures and storyline of this book. She will be starting to learn the Spanish language next year in school and this book gave her great exposure to some Spanish words.