Hugo is off to the store to buy soap for Mama, but the path to the store is filled with temptations and problems. Hugo attracts trouble like a magnet, from a huge mud puddle to a bully who wants to throw him in a ditch, and Senora Soto, with her broken eggs. How can a boy remember what he was supposed to get with so many distractions? His escapades are laugh-out-loud funny and when he finally arrives back home, he is a muddy mess.  He  immediately gets to try out the new soap (jabón).

The very talented Elizabeth O. Dulemba, who also wrote Paco and the Giant Chile Plant  (reviewed on MyShelf.com) has illustrated this story by graphite sketches digitally enhanced with terrific bright colors depicting the small town and its residents. The text is primarily English, but laced with key Spanish words that are easy to understand because of their placement in the text.

This delightful book will be a favorite for family story time or bedtime, and will get the kids off to an early start in learning a second language. There is a vocabulary list in the back of the book that is very helpful and a great resource for home school.