Bravo, Tavo!

by Brian Meunier, Perky Edgerton

Knowing his father is too concerned with the drought affecting their village to pay attention to the issue of his son's worn sneakers, Tavo puts his passion for basketball aside to help his community--resulting in great praise from everyone in town as well as a little something special for him as well.

Genres: Picture Books, Sports, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 16, 2007

Reviews

[Tassa DeSalada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story!

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basketball + kindness = Bravo, Tavo!, this picture book for older readers blends father/son relationships, looking to the past for solutions to current problems, a drought and the longing for a new pair of sneakers.

[Mary Feeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bravo, Tavo! is a vibrant story about a young boy growing up in a small Mexican town. He loves to play basketball but needs new sneakers. There is a drought and Gustavo must work with his father on an irrigation system his father has designed that many people scoff at because they think it won't work. After weeks of hard work, Gustavo and his father have success getting water to their crops and help save the town. Gustavo finally gets to join the team on the court with his old sneakers but the sneakers seem magical as he plays a great game while the crowd cheers, "Bravo, Tavo!

Bravo, Tavo! is a wonderful story about the dreams of a young boy and his father. It has beautiful bright paintings that capture the readers interest. It helps teach the lesson for young readers that you have to work hard and make sacrifices in order to achieve your dreams.

I would connect this book with the book, The Librarian of Basra, A True Story from Iraq by Jeanette Winter which is another book that deals with multi-cultural experiences and the concept of how hard work, dedication and sacrifice can touch your own life as well as the lives of others.

I love the quote, "Son, it's time for new sneakers. What do you think? Tavo wiggled his toes. They still tingled with magic energy. "No, Papa, these will do". I would ask students to write about one sacrifice they could make and how that sacrifice could touch their own lives and the lives of others.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about taking care of others, hard work, and family sacrifice. A good book to introduce different ways of life without making it seem like that is the point of the book. Also a nice example of a collectivist perspective.

[J-Lynn Van Pelt · Rating 2 out of 5]

A story about a boy who wants to be a famous basketball player, like the American’s he sees on the village’s new TV, but growing up on a Mexican farm during a drought won’t allow him to get the new shoes he needs in order to play on the local team. I think the secondary story about Tavo’s father re-digging the ancient irrigation ditches in order to save his farm is the stronger tale and should have been the focus of the book. The inclusion of “magic shoes” from the local bruja take away from the characters’ accomplishments and make it seem like it is magic. I would have liked the story to be more about defying the odds through hard work. The pictures are bright and colorful, especially the one with Tavo’s father’s crazy scarecrows.

[Sarah S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tavo needs new sneakers to play basketball, but his father, Gustavo, can't afford them until the rains come and the crops grow. Gustavo comes up with an unpopular plan to save their Mexican village's crops. Only Tavo helps him, but they gain more than they expected. Story, text, and pictures are all good, but this would work better as a book for 2nd- or 3rd-graders than as a read-aloud picture book for preschoolers.

[Wilhelmina Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine story about a young Mexican boy who loves basketball, but who must put aside his sports dreams to help his father fight a drought. With a bit of magic and the side benefits of physical work, Tavo is able to play the game he loves. Strong recommendation from my 6-year-old grandson.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this story about a Latino boy who wants to play basketball but has to help his father work on the farm digging trenches. It includes some important themes such as the value of hard work, self-sacrifice and being kind to people different from you.

[ConnieLettow]

This story introduces the ancient zanjas of Northern Mexico and Mexico. It tells the tale of a Mexican man Gustavo and his son Gustavo who petition the local community to help open the ancient zanjas, from the mountains to let the water flow so they can grow their crops. The villagers simply laughed at them, and so they cleared the zanjas alone. As they clear the zanjas they pass by and old widow's home, the son is worried. He has heard that the widow, Senora Rosa, is actually a Bruja. His father says "Even witches need water", so they connect the zanja to her garden. Later, she thanks them by making a brand new pair of shoes for the son. With his new shoes, and his new muscles from digging the zanja, the son makes the winning goal at basketball. His father watches from a seat of honor with the mayor, and they are hailed as hero's as they figure out how to bring water to the village crops.