In a world brimming with literary works, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the vast array of options, particularly in the realm of children’s books. Choosing a story can become even more daunting with hundreds of new titles published every month.

Fortunately, “Miguel Must Fight!” — a fantastic new children’s picture book by Jamie Ofelia — has just been released and is ideal for young readers. This book features magical illustrations, a positive message, and engaging bilingual language, making it both a valuable learning resource and an exciting story.

One of the most crucial elements of a children’s picture book is its illustrations, and award-winning artist Sara Palacios, the illustrator of “Miguel Must Fight!” truly excels in this area. Palacios crafted thrilling images, meticulously depicting the expressions on each character’s face, making it easy for children to understand the emotions conveyed throughout the story.

This book resonates with children through its beautiful, positive message delivered in a funny and adventurous way. Miguel’s family wants him to learn to fight like the rest of them, including his younger sister. However, Miguel is drawn to a gentler pursuit — art. While his family trains, he spends his days drawing pictures. One day, a fearsome dragon invades the town his family protects. Despite their valiant efforts, his family cannot defeat the dragon. Amid the chaos, Miguel bravely steps forward and shows the dragon a picture he has drawn of it. The dragon, touched by this sweet and unexpected gift, decides to leave the town alone. The townsfolk and Miguel’s family rejoice, celebrating the young boy who chose creativity over violence. This fantastic story teaches children that sometimes a pencil is mightier than a sword, even if making that choice is difficult.

I fell in love with this story for many reasons, but what stands out most is its playful use of bilingual language. Throughout the book, the author seamlessly incorporates Spanish words, which are defined at the back. However, Ofelia’s clever word choices make it easy to infer the meanings of the Spanish terms without needing to consult the definitions.

If you are sick of sifting through endless titles for a great new children’s picture book this is a great choice.  It teaches important lessons and bilingual vocabulary while still being very visually entertaining.  “Miguel Must Fight!” can be found at the Star Valley Branch, Thayne Branch, and Alpine Branch libraries.