Daniel el detective

BASIC INFO	LANGUAGE LEVEL	COMPREHENSION-AIDING FEATURES
Book Title Daniel el detective (Daniel The Detective) Authors Rebecca Landor and Niki Tottingham Illustrator Juan Carlos Pinilla Melo Other Contributors Michael Coxon and Craig Sheehy Published by TPRS Books Genre Mystery and Adventures Publication date 2020	From the author/publisher’s website Level 1/2 Total Word Count 239	Illustrations YES Glossary YES Guiding Questions NO Context NO Other Audio book available. Teacher’s Guide available.

IDENTITIES PRESENT IN THE TEXT		SYNOPSIS
Races, Ethnicities, and Nationalities Spaniards See “Illustrations” section for further discussion. Languages spoken Spanish Sex and Genders Female Male Ages Child: 6-12 Teenager: 13-18 Mid-life Adult: 35-65 Social classes Middle class	Sexual Orientation Heterosexual – married parents (Dis)Abilities and Neurotypes None mentioned in text Religions, Syncretism, and Spirituality None mentioned in text Relationship and Family Structures Heteroparental Body Descriptions “Daniel tiene el pelo castaño y los ojos castaños” / Daniel has brown hair and brown eyes (p. 3). Carmen “tiene pelo rubio y ojos castaños” / Carmen has blond hair and brown eyes (p. 4). Daniel es un chico “normal” / Daniel is a “normal” boy (pp. 3, 4).	From the author/publisher’s website There are many festivals in the world, none more peculiar than La Tomatina in Spain. Daniel really wants to go to the famous festival for the first time, but he lost his ticket. Can he follow the clues and retrieve it?

ILLUSTRATIONS	STORY	SOCIAL JUSTICE
To what extent do the illustrations present positive and thoughtful representations of identities? The color versions (the digital version and print version purchased in 2024) shows characters with various shades of white tones; the black-and-white version has line drawings which default to white. Daniel’s mother and sister Carmen are depicted with exaggerated eyelashes and distinct lips filled with color (e.g., 11, 16, 20, 44). Male characters are not shown in the images with eyelashes, distinct lips, or lip color (e.g., 2, 6, 11, 16, 44).	We understand identities are complex and no single story represents the spectrum of identity-based experiences. Also, a text may address a stereotype, misrepresentation, or generalization without relying on it. *Does any stereotype, misrepresentation, or generalization affect any positive and thoughtful representations of identities in the text?* Some U.S. cultural patterns appear to be superimposed upon cultural contexts outside of the U.S. and may be presented as belonging to those cultural contexts (i.e. U.S. cultural hegemony).	This section is for teachers who are working towards sourcing more texts within the four domains of anti-bias education. We are excited about reading all books and we understand that not all books are written for this specific purpose. *Does this text work toward goals within any of the* four domains of anti-bias education as defined by Learning for Justice? N/A

LLLAB’s REVIEW
Daniel lives in Spain and dreams of being a detective and enjoys solving mysteries. When his ticket to “La Tomatina” goes missing, he interrogates his family members to discover what happened to it. *___________________________________________* The text shows Daniel’s father as the cook in the family: “Papá prepara espaguetis con brócoli” / Dad is making spaghetti with broccoli (p. 14); “Tu papá estaba lavando los platos también” / Your dad was washing the plates, too (p. 20). These images may challenge gender stereotypes about women and the kitchen. Similarly, when Daniel looks for his mother, he goes to the living room, the kitchen and the dining room. He finally goes to the office, where he finds her (p. 18). The illustration shows the mother in the office with a computer and a pile of papers (p. 19). Daniel’s assumptions about the location of his mother may reveal gender stereotypes. However, the text challenges these stereotypes by placing the mother character in the office. The plot line subverts notions of “perfection.” Through most of the story, Daniel considers his younger brother, Ignacio, to be “perfect”: “Ignacio tiene diez años y es un chico perfecto. A él le encanta la clase de matemáticas, jugar videojuegos y jugar con su perro…” / Ignacio is ten years old and he is a perfect child. He likes math class, playing video games, and playing with his dog… (p. 4); “Daniel no tiene muchos problemas con Ignacio porque es un buen chico” / Daniel doesn’t have a lot of problems with Ignacio because he is a good kid (p. 4). When Ignacio’s parents do not let him attend the Tomatina, he responds, “Está bien. Yo sé las reglas mamá. Ahora no soy muy grande como Daniel y Carmen. Un día voy” / It’s okay. I know the rules, Mom. Now I’m not as big as Daniel and Carmen. One day I’ll go (p. 12). Daniel later realizes, however, that his brother is not so “perfect,” when he discovers that Ignacio has stolen his event ticket and fed it to the dog: “Ignacio no es inocente. Todos en la casa piensan que Ignacio es un chico perfecto. Entiende las reglas pero no es un chico perfecto. Ignacio entró en su dormitorio durante la noche para robar la entrada para La Tomatina” / Ignacio is not innocent. Everyone in the house thinks that Ignacio is a perfect kid. He understands the rules but he’s not a perfect kid. Ignacio entered [Daniel’s] bedroom at night to steal the ticket for La Tomatina (p. 37). Teachers may want to discuss with students the notions of “perfect kid” and “good kid,” along with the differences between appearances and actual behavior. The book is set in Spain, and all of the characters are Spanish. However, readers may notice that the characters may seem transplanted from a Hollywood movie version of a family from the United States. For example, Daniel is described as a “normal kid” whose favorite food is pepperoni pizza (p. 3). While many people from Spain do enjoy pizza and even pepperoni pizza, it is a food commonly associated with kids in the United States. Second, some members of Daniel’s family buy tickets for La Tomatina and make plans to go alone or with friends (pp. 10, 15, 39). This may be common in the United States, where many families tend towards individualism, but may be less usual in Spain, where families often attend local festivals together. Finally, Daniel and his friends start a food fight in their school cafeteria. This childish prank is well-known from American movies, but would be considered highly unusual behavior in Spain. Teachers may wish to explore with students further examples of cultural distinctions between Spain and the United States, particularly around issues of food and school eating customs. The author biographies, located at the end of the text, note that one of the authors has yet to attend La Tomatina. The text does not state if the other author has attended, although it does state that she holds a degree earned in Madrid. As at least one of the authors is writing outside her experience, the authenticity of the depictions of La Tomatina may be in question. Teachers may want to interrogate with students the notions of “ab/normalcy” portrayed in the text, e.g., “Daniel es un chico normal pero quiere ser detective / Daniel is a normal kid but he wants to be a detective” (p. 3); “Es un chico muy normal pero tiene problemas con su hermana” / He is a very normal kid but he has problems with his sister (p. 4); and regarding a tradition at La Tomatina involving a palo enjabonado / soapy pole, “No es una situación normal” / It’s not a normal situation (p. 40). The text reports that “Daniel come un sándwich de jamón y queso con mayonesa. A Daniel le gusta mucho el jamón” / Daniel eats a ham and cheese sandwich with mayonnaise. Daniel really likes ham (p. 5). The illustration shows Daniel eating a sandwich with what looks like green lettuce in it. Teachers may wish to discuss with students the sociohistorical role of ham, in Spain, as a potential indicator of religious and cultural identities. They may also wish to discuss the varieties of sandwiches commonly available in Spain, as well as lunch foods in general, and how these may contrast with lunch foods in the United States. The textual theme of “throwing food” provides opportunities for discussion. Early in the text, a classmate throws cheese in the cafeteria: “De repente otro chico tira queso y el queso le pega a Fernando” / Suddenly, another boy throws cheese and the cheese hits Fernando (p. 7). Later, La Tomatina festival involves climbing a pole and grabbing a ham: “Daniel y Javier ven a un grupo de personas que se están subiendo por un palo con un jamón… Cuando una persona agarra el jamón, La Tomatina comienza” / Daniel and Javier see a group of people that are climbing up a pole with a ham… When one person grabs the ham, La Tomatina begins (p. 40). La Tomatina festival also involves smashing tomatoes: “Los chicos aplastan los tomates y los tiran” / The kids smash the tomatoes and throw them (p. 42). Teachers may wish to discuss cultural perspectives on the notion of a “food fight” and how this may communicate a lack of awareness of the privilege to have access to food, as well as disrespect toward those involved in the processes of making food. Yet throwing tomatoes and climbing a pole to grab a ham for sport are also cultural activities in La Tomatina. Teachers may wish to explore with students the themes of when playing with food is disrespectful and when it is culturally appropriate.

LLLAB’s REVIEW

Daniel lives in Spain and dreams of being a detective and enjoys solving mysteries. When his ticket to “La Tomatina” goes missing, he interrogates his family members to discover what happened to it.
___________________________________________

The text shows Daniel’s father as the cook in the family: “Papá prepara espaguetis con brócoli” / Dad is making spaghetti with broccoli (p. 14); “Tu papá estaba lavando los platos también” / Your dad was washing the plates, too (p. 20). These images may challenge gender stereotypes about women and the kitchen.

Similarly, when Daniel looks for his mother, he goes to the living room, the kitchen and the dining room. He finally goes to the office, where he finds her (p. 18). The illustration shows the mother in the office with a computer and a pile of papers (p. 19). Daniel’s assumptions about the location of his mother may reveal gender stereotypes. However, the text challenges these stereotypes by placing the mother character in the office.

The plot line subverts notions of “perfection.” Through most of the story, Daniel considers his younger brother, Ignacio, to be “perfect”: “Ignacio tiene diez años y es un chico perfecto. A él le encanta la clase de matemáticas, jugar videojuegos y jugar con su perro…” / Ignacio is ten years old and he is a perfect child. He likes math class, playing video games, and playing with his dog… (p. 4); “Daniel no tiene muchos problemas con Ignacio porque es un buen chico” / Daniel doesn’t have a lot of problems with Ignacio because he is a good kid (p. 4). When Ignacio’s parents do not let him attend the Tomatina, he responds, “Está bien. Yo sé las reglas mamá. Ahora no soy muy grande como Daniel y Carmen. Un día voy” / It’s okay. I know the rules, Mom. Now I’m not as big as Daniel and Carmen. One day I’ll go (p. 12). Daniel later realizes, however, that his brother is not so “perfect,” when he discovers that Ignacio has stolen his event ticket and fed it to the dog: “Ignacio no es inocente. Todos en la casa piensan que Ignacio es un chico perfecto. Entiende las reglas pero no es un chico perfecto. Ignacio entró en su dormitorio durante la noche para robar la entrada para La Tomatina” / Ignacio is not innocent. Everyone in the house thinks that Ignacio is a perfect kid. He understands the rules but he’s not a perfect kid. Ignacio entered [Daniel’s] bedroom at night to steal the ticket for La Tomatina (p. 37). Teachers may want to discuss with students the notions of “perfect kid” and “good kid,” along with the differences between appearances and actual behavior.

The book is set in Spain, and all of the characters are Spanish. However, readers may notice that the characters may seem transplanted from a Hollywood movie version of a family from the United States. For example, Daniel is described as a “normal kid” whose favorite food is pepperoni pizza (p. 3). While many people from Spain do enjoy pizza and even pepperoni pizza, it is a food commonly associated with kids in the United States. Second, some members of Daniel’s family buy tickets for La Tomatina and make plans to go alone or with friends (pp. 10, 15, 39). This may be common in the United States, where many families tend towards individualism, but may be less usual in Spain, where families often attend local festivals together. Finally, Daniel and his friends start a food fight in their school cafeteria. This childish prank is well-known from American movies, but would be considered highly unusual behavior in Spain. Teachers may wish to explore with students further examples of cultural distinctions between Spain and the United States, particularly around issues of food and school eating customs.

The author biographies, located at the end of the text, note that one of the authors has yet to attend La Tomatina. The text does not state if the other author has attended, although it does state that she holds a degree earned in Madrid. As at least one of the authors is writing outside her experience, the authenticity of the depictions of La Tomatina may be in question.

Teachers may want to interrogate with students the notions of “ab/normalcy” portrayed in the text, e.g., “Daniel es un chico normal pero quiere ser detective / Daniel is a normal kid but he wants to be a detective” (p. 3); “Es un chico muy normal pero tiene problemas con su hermana” / He is a very normal kid but he has problems with his sister (p. 4); and regarding a tradition at La Tomatina involving a palo enjabonado / soapy pole, “No es una situación normal” / It’s not a normal situation (p. 40).

The text reports that “Daniel come un sándwich de jamón y queso con mayonesa. A Daniel le gusta mucho el jamón” / Daniel eats a ham and cheese sandwich with mayonnaise. Daniel really likes ham (p. 5). The illustration shows Daniel eating a sandwich with what looks like green lettuce in it. Teachers may wish to discuss with students the sociohistorical role of ham, in Spain, as a potential indicator of religious and cultural identities. They may also wish to discuss the varieties of sandwiches commonly available in Spain, as well as lunch foods in general, and how these may contrast with lunch foods in the United States.

The textual theme of “throwing food” provides opportunities for discussion. Early in the text, a classmate throws cheese in the cafeteria: “De repente otro chico tira queso y el queso le pega a Fernando” / Suddenly, another boy throws cheese and the cheese hits Fernando (p. 7). Later, La Tomatina festival involves climbing a pole and grabbing a ham: “Daniel y Javier ven a un grupo de personas que se están subiendo por un palo con un jamón… Cuando una persona agarra el jamón, La Tomatina comienza” / Daniel and Javier see a group of people that are climbing up a pole with a ham… When one person grabs the ham, La Tomatina begins (p. 40). La Tomatina festival also involves smashing tomatoes: “Los chicos aplastan los tomates y los tiran” / The kids smash the tomatoes and throw them (p. 42). Teachers may wish to discuss cultural perspectives on the notion of a “food fight” and how this may communicate a lack of awareness of the privilege to have access to food, as well as disrespect toward those involved in the processes of making food. Yet throwing tomatoes and climbing a pole to grab a ham for sport are also cultural activities in La Tomatina. Teachers may wish to explore with students the themes of when playing with food is disrespectful and when it is culturally appropriate.

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