Juana and Lucas: Big Problemas

Medina’s cartoon-style illustrations done in ink and watercolor are vibrant and full of movement, beautifully capturing the full range of Juana’s conflicting emotions as Luis becomes a part of their lives. Juana’s big problema will resonate with many readers, who will look forward to hearing more about this spunky Colombian girl’s life.—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)In accessible chapters with plenty of white space and interspersed art, Medina guides readers through Juana’s experiences, incorporating nuanced visual details into the drawings to help articulate Juana’s thought processes and ranges of emotions. Through it all, Juana can always count on her family’s steady and secure love to help solve even the biggest problemas. The result is a thriving, buoyant, confident young Juana who demonstrates that balancing new changes with old favorites is achievable and, indeed, can be done with humor and grace.—The Horn Book (starred review)Medina’s illustrations are a wonderful addition to Juana’s first-person narration, truly bringing her emotions and quirkiness to life. Spanish words are sprinkled throughout the text but are italicized so that monolingual young readers will get their meaning through context cues. Medina’s charming follow-up to her Pura Belpré Award–winning Juana & Lucas (2016) doesn’t disappoint.—BooklistThis gentle book brims with full-color illustrations of sturdy, big-hearted Juana and her bright, cheery world. Peppered with Spanish, it gives younger readers a window into a life both different and very like their own.—The Plain Dealer

Juana Medina was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia. She is the illustrator of Smick! by Doreen Cronin and Lena’s Shoes Are Nervous: A First-Day-of-School Dilemma by Keith Calabrese. Juana Medina is also the author-illustrator of 1 Big Salad, Sweet Shapes, and Juana & Lucas, which won the 2017 Pura Belpré Author Award. She currently lives with her family in Mexico.