Maritza Martínez Mejía, AWA: Review of Tío Ricky Doesn't Speak English / Tío Ricky no habla inglés

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Review of Tío Ricky Doesn't Speak English / Tío Ricky no habla inglés

Maritere R. Bellas, Jayri Gómez (illustrator)

Uncle Ricky doesn't speak English, and his nephew Enrique has to translate everything for him. Sometimes Enrique isn't in the mood to help his uncle, since translating isn't an easy task. He even tried to help his uncle Ricky learn English by playing dominoes, and something interesting happened. Enrique is a role model for all bilingual members of our community who discover that being bilingual can make a difference.

With vivid illustrations and expressive faces by Jayri Gómez, she brings the colorful Caribbean culture to life. Author Maritere captures the essence of being bilingual and tells us that what can sometimes be a burden is ultimately a blessing and an opportunity that can save the lives of their families and the community.

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El tío Ricky no habla inglés, y su sobrino Enrique tiene que traducirle todo. A veces, Enrique no está de humor para ayudar a su tío, ya que traducir no es una tarea fácil. Incluso intentó ayudar a su tío Ricky a aprender inglés jugando dominó y sucedió algo interesante. Enrique es el modelo a seguir para todos los miembros bilingües de nuestra comunidad que descubren que el ser bilingüe puede marcar la diferencia.

Con vívidas ilustraciones, expresivos rostros, de Jayri Gómez, da vida a la colorida cultura caribeña. La autora Maritere captura la esencia de ser bilingüe y nos narra lo que a veces puede ser una carga; al final, es una bendición y una oportunidad que puede salvar la vida de sus familias y de la comunidad.

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