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Paletero Man
A truly refreshing picture book about determination, kindness, ice pops—and the true meaning of being part of a community—from Latin Grammy winning musician Lucky Diaz and celebrated artist Micah Player!
What’s the best way to cool off on a hot summer day? Run quick! And find Paletero José!
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Can you hear his call?
Paletas for one! Paletas for all!
Follow Paletero José’s call and rush along with our narrator as he passes through his vibrant and busy neighborhood in search of the Paletero Man. But when he arrives, our narrator’s pockets are empty! What happened to his dinero? It will take the help of the entire community to get the tasty treat now.
Celebrating the strength of community and the tastes of summer, fans of Thank You, Omu and Carmela Full of Wishes will be hungry for what Paletero Man has in store.
The book includes Spanish words and phrases throughout and an author’s note from Lucky Diaz about why he was inspired to write this picture book.
What’s the best way to cool off on a hot summer day? Run quick! And find Paletero José!
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Can you hear his call?
Paletas for one! Paletas for all!
Follow Paletero José’s call and rush along with our narrator as he passes through his vibrant and busy neighborhood in search of the Paletero Man. But when he arrives, our narrator’s pockets are empty! What happened to his dinero? It will take the help of the entire community to get the tasty treat now.
Celebrating the strength of community and the tastes of summer, fans of Thank You, Omu and Carmela Full of Wishes will be hungry for what Paletero Man has in store.
The book includes Spanish words and phrases throughout and an author’s note from Lucky Diaz about why he was inspired to write this picture book.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2021
20 people are currently reading
390 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 267 reviews
April 25, 2023
A young boy chases after the Paletero Man (Paletero José) on the hottest day of the year. As he runs past shops he interacts with the people in his neighborhood as he hopes his favorite flavor is not sold out. Wonderful tale with beautiful art that looks at what connects us to home: check out the video /Paletero Man Lyric Video/ on YouTube!
July 20, 2021
Wonderful book for children and adults learning Spanish! Spanish is sprinkled throughout. I wish there was a glossary at the end like “Gazpacho for Nacho” by Tracey Kyle, but still a great book!
January 1, 2022
Ernesto is excited to enjoy his favorite treat on a hot summer day, but does he have enough money for it? This is a cute story with a mix of Spanish and English words.
March 30, 2024
Title: Paletero Man. This very refreshing and flavorful story was written by Lucky Diaz, who is a bilingual speaker, songwriting, multi–Latin Grammy Award–winning, Grammy-nominated, and six-time Emmy-nominated musician, children’s television personality, and author. His work has been praised by NPR, Billboard, People, and the New York Times. He is a Parent’s Choice Gold Award and NAPPA Award winner. In 2020, his album Buenos Diaz was named an official selection of notable works for children by the American Library Association. Lucky’s debut picture book, Paletero Man, has been celebrated with starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and ALA Booklist. The vibrant and detailed illustrations were created digitally with Adobe Photoshop by Micah Player and translated by Carmen Tafolla.
In this story, a young boy is excited to find Jose, the paletero man. Along the way, he found people from his community in California who offered him different treats, but he rejected all of the options because the only treat he wanted was a paleta (popsicle). He ran through his neighborhood and finally, when he found Jose, he noticed that he lost his money to pay for his paleta. To his luck, his neighbors were there too, bringing the coins he lost on his way. The theme in this book reflects the culture and traditions of the author. He incorporates words like "Ring, Ring, Ring" the sound to alert children when the paletero is near. The paletero was very generous to all of the neighbors giving free paletas for all. This touch of kindness speaks about the great relationships they had with one another.
I would recommend this book to grades pre-k through 3rd grade. Teachers can use the book to engage children in coral reading. The repetition of text and rhyming words can engage readers throughout the story. It can be used to teach character traits, friendship, community engagement, generosity, and kindness. I would recommend it to create art in the form of paletas and to make homemade paletas using the flavors the author mentioned in the book.
I liked the song he created to go along with his book "Paletero Man".
In this story, a young boy is excited to find Jose, the paletero man. Along the way, he found people from his community in California who offered him different treats, but he rejected all of the options because the only treat he wanted was a paleta (popsicle). He ran through his neighborhood and finally, when he found Jose, he noticed that he lost his money to pay for his paleta. To his luck, his neighbors were there too, bringing the coins he lost on his way. The theme in this book reflects the culture and traditions of the author. He incorporates words like "Ring, Ring, Ring" the sound to alert children when the paletero is near. The paletero was very generous to all of the neighbors giving free paletas for all. This touch of kindness speaks about the great relationships they had with one another.
I would recommend this book to grades pre-k through 3rd grade. Teachers can use the book to engage children in coral reading. The repetition of text and rhyming words can engage readers throughout the story. It can be used to teach character traits, friendship, community engagement, generosity, and kindness. I would recommend it to create art in the form of paletas and to make homemade paletas using the flavors the author mentioned in the book.
I liked the song he created to go along with his book "Paletero Man".
October 14, 2020
4.5/5 stars
A thrilling picture book with illustrations that paint a beautiful, varied community of color and shines a light on an unsung hero: the paletero. My one quibble is that the Spanish should be given a second look, as there are terrible grammar mistakes that had me cringing, which I'm sure by the final product will be edited. Otherwise, a lovely debut picture book!
Thanks to Edelweiss and HarperCollins for the advance review copy!
A thrilling picture book with illustrations that paint a beautiful, varied community of color and shines a light on an unsung hero: the paletero. My one quibble is that the Spanish should be given a second look, as there are terrible grammar mistakes that had me cringing, which I'm sure by the final product will be edited. Otherwise, a lovely debut picture book!
Thanks to Edelweiss and HarperCollins for the advance review copy!
June 7, 2021
PALETERO MAN by Lucky Diaz is a bright, colorful rhyming book about a boy who wants nothing but a yummy paleta. It’s a perfect read on a hot day and definitely makes you hungry for this delicious, cool treat. I ask love the mix of Spanish and English sprinkled throughout the book.
July 27, 2021
Sweet and cute!!!
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June 30, 2021“Can you hear his call? Paletas for one! Paletas for all!”
On one of the hottest days, probably ever, the paletero man, José, pushes his cart through the neighborhood bringing sweet treats to the park for kids to buy. A boy, hoping to catch him, rushes across the neighborhood to buy a paleta. On his journey, he thinks of all the possible flavors he can indulge in and if José has his favorite; there’s not a second to waste! However, once he reaches the paletero man, he discovers he has dropped all of his money on the way and is disappointed he can’t buy one now. But thanks to his friends’ kindness, everyone gets to enjoy a delectable treat!
Warning: this book is going to make your mouth water! This picture book acts as a companion for Lucky Diaz’s song of the same name from his band known as “The Lucky Band,” which is a celebration of the hard working vendors who bring all different kinds of people together for ice cream. The story emits pure joy and delight, and I absolutely love it! I think this is such a fun story about a boy simply chasing down the paletero man, and along the way we see him interact with all the people from his city that are equally important to his life such as Ms. Lee, Tío Ernesto, and Frank, all with their own businesses. I just love how in so few pages, we readers get to see a piece of the community and how everyone can come together. As the boy listed off the flavors, I couldn’t help but yearn to hear the ringing of the paltero man’s bell to grab a juicy sandia paleta of my own. Paletero Man perfectly captures the taste of summer and spirited youth.
In terms of design, Michah Player knocks the cuteness off the charts! The design under the dust jacket is so adorable with an array of different sweet treats. Player captures the excitement and warmth on every page, and they tie beautifully with Diaz’s words. I can recall circling back in the bookstore for this book because the cover just beamed with all the colors of the ice cream. It made me so excited to see a picture book that celebrates such a jovial part of my childhood, and I’m sure others can relate. In a sea of beautiful picture books, this one stood out to me because of its specificity, and after reading it, I love the fact that this is an ode to the Latinx immigrant who works to bring the flavors of Mexico to the streets of LA.
Lastly, with more and more attacks occurring, here is a simple reminder: Love, respect, and thank your local street vendors!
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @pinereadsreview and check out our website at www.pinereadsreview.com for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!
On one of the hottest days, probably ever, the paletero man, José, pushes his cart through the neighborhood bringing sweet treats to the park for kids to buy. A boy, hoping to catch him, rushes across the neighborhood to buy a paleta. On his journey, he thinks of all the possible flavors he can indulge in and if José has his favorite; there’s not a second to waste! However, once he reaches the paletero man, he discovers he has dropped all of his money on the way and is disappointed he can’t buy one now. But thanks to his friends’ kindness, everyone gets to enjoy a delectable treat!
Warning: this book is going to make your mouth water! This picture book acts as a companion for Lucky Diaz’s song of the same name from his band known as “The Lucky Band,” which is a celebration of the hard working vendors who bring all different kinds of people together for ice cream. The story emits pure joy and delight, and I absolutely love it! I think this is such a fun story about a boy simply chasing down the paletero man, and along the way we see him interact with all the people from his city that are equally important to his life such as Ms. Lee, Tío Ernesto, and Frank, all with their own businesses. I just love how in so few pages, we readers get to see a piece of the community and how everyone can come together. As the boy listed off the flavors, I couldn’t help but yearn to hear the ringing of the paltero man’s bell to grab a juicy sandia paleta of my own. Paletero Man perfectly captures the taste of summer and spirited youth.
In terms of design, Michah Player knocks the cuteness off the charts! The design under the dust jacket is so adorable with an array of different sweet treats. Player captures the excitement and warmth on every page, and they tie beautifully with Diaz’s words. I can recall circling back in the bookstore for this book because the cover just beamed with all the colors of the ice cream. It made me so excited to see a picture book that celebrates such a jovial part of my childhood, and I’m sure others can relate. In a sea of beautiful picture books, this one stood out to me because of its specificity, and after reading it, I love the fact that this is an ode to the Latinx immigrant who works to bring the flavors of Mexico to the streets of LA.
Lastly, with more and more attacks occurring, here is a simple reminder: Love, respect, and thank your local street vendors!
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @pinereadsreview and check out our website at www.pinereadsreview.com for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!
June 15, 2021
What could be better on a hot sunny day than a paleta? Back in the day when I was young, we used to grab our money when we heard the music of our local ice cream truck as it made its daily rounds in the neighborhood, running to meet it before it passed the house. Fast forward in time to today - when it is the paletero man's bell and song as he pushes his cart to bring them running to the park with their money to buy an icy, cold sweet treat.
Inspired by Lucky Diaz's song of the same name, this is the story of a boy who rushes across the neighborhood "on the hottest day of the hottest month" to buy a paleta, only to be disappointed when he finds he has dropped all of his money somewhere so cannot pay for it. The boy and his story hops and skips across the page with a rhyme, a beat, and a message that honesty has rewards can benefit everyone.
Micah Player's Adobe Photoshop illustrations are the perfect partner for the lively text. There is movement, there is bright summery color, and there is the joy-filled innocence of youth. The boy meets and greets all his neighbors while on his hurried way - the man with the tamale cart, the lady grilling Korean BBQ, and Frank at his bike shop. Eagle-eyed youngsters will notice the three times the boy's money flies out of his pockets and trails him like breadcrumbs in a story. Player deftly captures the boy's anticipation of selecting his flavor, the pride of being able to pay for it, and the shock when he learns his money is gone. An author's note in back explains the significance of the paletero cart's in local Latino culture and his personal reason for writing the song today.
Be sure to listen to the song for free on HarperCollins' website: https://www.harpercollins.com/product...
Pull this to read on a hot summer day with a frozen treat on a stick of your choice - but why wait? Any day to enjoy this gem is a great day!
Highly Recommended for PreSchool-grade 3.
Inspired by Lucky Diaz's song of the same name, this is the story of a boy who rushes across the neighborhood "on the hottest day of the hottest month" to buy a paleta, only to be disappointed when he finds he has dropped all of his money somewhere so cannot pay for it. The boy and his story hops and skips across the page with a rhyme, a beat, and a message that honesty has rewards can benefit everyone.
Micah Player's Adobe Photoshop illustrations are the perfect partner for the lively text. There is movement, there is bright summery color, and there is the joy-filled innocence of youth. The boy meets and greets all his neighbors while on his hurried way - the man with the tamale cart, the lady grilling Korean BBQ, and Frank at his bike shop. Eagle-eyed youngsters will notice the three times the boy's money flies out of his pockets and trails him like breadcrumbs in a story. Player deftly captures the boy's anticipation of selecting his flavor, the pride of being able to pay for it, and the shock when he learns his money is gone. An author's note in back explains the significance of the paletero cart's in local Latino culture and his personal reason for writing the song today.
Be sure to listen to the song for free on HarperCollins' website: https://www.harpercollins.com/product...
Pull this to read on a hot summer day with a frozen treat on a stick of your choice - but why wait? Any day to enjoy this gem is a great day!
Highly Recommended for PreSchool-grade 3.
January 14, 2022
This wonderfully colorful and enjoyable book. The illustrations are vibrant and full of movement. There is lots to look at in these two-page full spreads. It also showcases a community of color and includes Spanish throughout. I should disclaimer that I don't speak or read Spanish, although I did take it as a language it didn't stick. This book did a good job of incorporating it so that you can understand through context clues. For younger readers this may be difficult so parents should try to have an understanding before reading to children.
The book is about a boy running to meet up with the Paletero man, which is the fruit-ice pop man. Along the way the young boy passes by members of his community all working but still saying hello and trying to engage with him as he hurries to get his treat, only to find when he arrives that he has lost all is money. Luckily his community is a supportive one and they come to the rescue.
This story was so heartwarming and will be a great one for bilingual families. It is also a great book as we start entering the warmer months, but be forewarned... as a reader you will then want an ice-pop... they look delicious in the illustrations.
The book is about a boy running to meet up with the Paletero man, which is the fruit-ice pop man. Along the way the young boy passes by members of his community all working but still saying hello and trying to engage with him as he hurries to get his treat, only to find when he arrives that he has lost all is money. Luckily his community is a supportive one and they come to the rescue.
This story was so heartwarming and will be a great one for bilingual families. It is also a great book as we start entering the warmer months, but be forewarned... as a reader you will then want an ice-pop... they look delicious in the illustrations.
October 24, 2025
Everything I want in a picture book. The illustrations are dynamic and the story is full of heart.
I read the book in 2021 when it originally came out and I have now listened to the audiobook as a ALC in 2025.
The audiobook of this title is excellent. It brings to life this story with song and rhyme.
I read the book in 2021 when it originally came out and I have now listened to the audiobook as a ALC in 2025.
The audiobook of this title is excellent. It brings to life this story with song and rhyme.
Read
June 5, 2021Lovely lesson on kindness and community
June 17, 2021
Absolutely loved this! Felt culturally connected and the premise of community! Beautiful colors and good repetition with purpose. Shows everyone has their place in our community.
June 24, 2021
Celebrates the diversity of a community and helping behaviors.
July 16, 2021
Love the vibrant illustrations and mix of English and Spanish. Definitely meant to be read out loud.
November 26, 2021
Repetitive refrains perhaps work better in a song. Colorful illustrations of the boy’s dash through the neighborhood provide an interesting, bilingual introduction to LA’s Eighth Street neighborhood.
August 29, 2022
A song/poem about a young child hoping to get his favorite flavor of paleta from the paletero man. Unfortunately, when he arrives, he realizes that along the way he somehow lost his coins to buy the paleta. This is a sweet story of kindness and community. I loved that it incorporated many Spanish words into the text, that there really was such a sense of community, and that such concern was shown. A fun addition...you can visit Harper Collins and hear the song.
February 11, 2022
Lucky is desperate to find the Paletero Man.
He passes through the neighborhood desperate to find him. But what happens...when a tiny mishap may disable Lucky from getting Paletero.
Latin Grammy Winner Lucky Diaz gives us a fun colorful cultural exploration through California and a story of determination and ice cream.
He passes through the neighborhood desperate to find him. But what happens...when a tiny mishap may disable Lucky from getting Paletero.
Latin Grammy Winner Lucky Diaz gives us a fun colorful cultural exploration through California and a story of determination and ice cream.
Read
November 18, 2025The target grades for this book is grades K-3, in this book children are introduced to community life and cultural patterns. the Main Themes/Topics of this story include, Community, love, cultural pride, celebration of the Latino heritage. i would use this book in my future classroom because this picture book revolves around the themes of community and culture, which is a very nice and easy-to-relate story for young students of the Latinx community.
December 12, 2021
Bright, cheerful, rhyming story about a young boy running through town to get to the paletero man. Positive, upbeat and fun. Can’t wait to share this book with my students!
September 23, 2022
Hispanic heritage month read! Paleteros for one paleteros for all!
November 10, 2022
Rating: 5 leaves out of 5
Characters: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Story: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Genre: Children
Type: Book
Worth?: Yes
Characters: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Story: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Genre: Children
Type: Book
Worth?: Yes
October 1, 2021
This book is delightful! It's a beautifully and vibrantly illustrated book about summer delights, including ice pops! The story also teaches kindness and the love and support of friends.
My very talented friend, Micah Player, is the illustrator of this book. His art is engaging with bright, fun, and inviting colors. You can see the summer fun and delicious, colorful ice pops
My very talented friend, Micah Player, is the illustrator of this book. His art is engaging with bright, fun, and inviting colors. You can see the summer fun and delicious, colorful ice pops
July 27, 2023
A fun, summer bilingual book about paletas (popsicles), friendship, and belonging. I love how many caring adults are present in the protagonist's life. A great book to teach Spanish words to English readers. Also, when readers get to the end, they'll want to start over to see what they missed!
July 22, 2021
It’s the hottest day in the hottest month in Los Angeles, so a boy heads out with his money to find the paletero cart, hoping that his favorite flavor is still available. The first cart that he finds is the tamale cart, but that’s not what he wants today. Ms. Lee has Korean BBQ for sale, but he won’t even stop for a sample. He runs past the bike shop too, not stopping to visit. Finally, he finds Paletero Joe in the park and there is still some pineapple flavor left. But when he reaches into his pocket, all of his money is gone. Luckily, all of the business owners he ran past noticed him dropping his money and are all there at the park to return it to him.
A story of delicious food set against the urban LA cityscape, this picture book shows a strong, connected and diverse community. The various foods from different cultures are all celebrated as the narrator dashes past them looking for his desired cool treat. Diaz manages to write a rhyming picture book that is merry and bright, never becoming sing-songy but instead incorporating Spanish to create many of the rhymes.
The illustrations cleverly show the money dropping out the boy’s pockets though readers may miss it the first time they read the book. The illustrations are bold and bright, reflecting the colors of the paletero and showing the diverse people in a bright and friendly urban neighborhood.
A great read-aloud just right if you have popsicles to share. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
A story of delicious food set against the urban LA cityscape, this picture book shows a strong, connected and diverse community. The various foods from different cultures are all celebrated as the narrator dashes past them looking for his desired cool treat. Diaz manages to write a rhyming picture book that is merry and bright, never becoming sing-songy but instead incorporating Spanish to create many of the rhymes.
The illustrations cleverly show the money dropping out the boy’s pockets though readers may miss it the first time they read the book. The illustrations are bold and bright, reflecting the colors of the paletero and showing the diverse people in a bright and friendly urban neighborhood.
A great read-aloud just right if you have popsicles to share. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
July 17, 2023
Another lovely picture book about a small tight knit community and the kids that get to grow up there. So sweet. There was a fun song to go along with this as well that the kids enjoyed
July 29, 2021
4.5 stars. I want to eat all the foods in the book, oh my gosh.
July 21, 2021
A boy races across town for his favorite treat, and along the way, he passes his favorite vendors and the people that work there. When he gets to his treat, he discovers he lost his money along the way. Now what?!
July 21, 2021
A sweet & charming story.
July 12, 2021
What a fun read!! Paletero Man is a story about a boy who is excited for a favorite treat. Along the way, he loses his money! Friendship and honesty prevail in the end and save the day. Wonderfully written and illustrated!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 267 reviews