Embark on an Epic Adventure with Mexikid!

Meet Mexikid

Mexikid (Dial Books, 2023), a graphic memoir by Pedro Martín.

Pedro is the sixth of nine children in a migrant farm worker family living in California. The year is 1977, and the whole family is about to go on a trip (over 2000 miles!) to the west coast of Mexico to pick up Pedro’s Mexican-Revolutionary-War-Era Abuelito (grandfather).

How will they get there? The five “Somewhat American” siblings (all born in Mexico) will ride in the pickup truck with makeshift benches and rope seatbelts. Pedro and the other three “Somewhat Mexican” siblings (born in the United States) will ride with their parents in the Winnebago Chieftain (so what if the previous owner might have died in the Chieftain – Apá (father) got it for a good price!).

Join Pedro and his quirky family on a hilarious and epic journey into Mexico. There will be pop rocks (bubbling in snot) and some superhero action figures (others might call them “dolls”), but through it all, Pedro may just find his place as a “Mexikid.” You won’t want to miss even one minute of this larger-than-life adventure!

Target Audience

The target audience for Mexikid is middle schoolers (Ages 10-14). The goofy, likeable Pedro is around 12 or 13 years old, and all the characters have an affectionate, eccentric appeal. Pedro’s older brothers, Leon and Noe, are always up to some mischief, whether it’s throwing punches or playing pranks. And let’s not forget about Amá (mother), who has this weird obsession with half bananas.

The tone of the book is humorous and genuine. Martín fills this memoir with sardonic, self-deprecating humor about himself and his family, but it clearly comes from a place of love. The humor is universal, with sibling fights and bad decisions, like Pedro’s “Vicente Fernández” haircut.

There is a lot of “boy” humor, including a poop tornado caused by drinking a licuado (a Mexican smoothie) made with raw milk and a toy purchased at a Mexican mercado called “Little Peepee Man.” This is the kind of humor middle school readers will love.

The coming-of-age theme is also an important element of this graphic memoir. Middle schoolers are familiar with trying to fit in and finding their place in the world. They will have no trouble relating to Pedro, as he struggles to figure out his identity as both Mexican and American. As for crossover appeal, Mexikid is perfect for any adult who grew up in and around the 1970s and nostalgically remembers such icons as “The Fonz” from Happy Days and cassette tapes.

At over 300 pages, some reluctant readers might be daunted by the sheer size of Mexikid. Luckily, Mexikid is an easy sell – just point readers to the list of additional euphemisms for diarrhea at the back of the book!  The font was also a bit of a problem for my 60-year-old eyes. Readers with dyslexia or visual impairments will also have trouble, so I suggest getting the award-winning audio version (available on Libby at my public library) or the “talking book” version from Playaway Products that allows you to listen while reading along (also available at my public library). There’s even a free educator’s guide available!

Design and Color

The artistic design of this graphic memoir is deceptively complex. Martín seamlessly transitions between a variety of layouts and cartooning styles in a way that is dynamic and keeps the storyline easy to follow.  Another nice aspect of the memoir is the use of Spanish throughout with translations and/or funny postscripts included in footnotes.

I also like how Martín scatters unique commercial-like breaks throughout the book to communicate valuable information for moving forward with the story. For example, near the beginning, Martín presents brief (and hilarious) descriptions of each family member. And when the family crosses over into Mexico and stops at the mercado (market), Martín provides a “Mexican Boy’s Guide to: Unregulated Toys of Mexico” (such as Little Peepee Man or miniature but sharp machetes with “Mexico” carved into the blade).

Martín’s cartooning style creates a world that seems to pulse with life. Whether it’s sibling shenanigans in the Winnebago, the imagined adventures of Abuelito, or the brightly colored mercado, the reader can fully immerse themselves in the story and its surroundings.

Coloring is expertly used throughout to provide readers with clues and to create an environment of sensations. Most of the book is presented with a full-color palette. This is especially true with the vibrant colors used to reflect Martín’s Mexican heritage. In contrast, stories from the past are delineated with softer sepia tones, and stories of Abuelito’s Revolutionary War adventures (as imagined by Pedro) take on a vintage superhero vibe using Ben-Day dots.

The Perfect Balance of Humor and Heart

Mexikid includes a lot of disgusting stuff (i.e., diarrhea, a cockroach on the menu, flies on a giant pig-shaped cookie, and a “Booger River”). Normally, I would roll my eyes at such humor, but Martín presents even the grossest scenes in a smart and funny way. It is doubtful that even the most curmudgeonly librarian would be able to suppress a chuckle. The dry wit is equally as funny. For example, when Pedro is explaining how eating dinner on the living room floor “rendered you invisible to adults and closer to God. I mean closer to the TV.”

While there is lots of humor, there is also heartbreak – it is a memoir after all. Martín poignantly presents the exhuming of his Abuela’s (grandmother) grave while in Mexico and his anguish over an injured deer. Yet Martín balances these heartbreaking scenes with humor and affection. Despite their idiosyncrasies (or maybe because of them), it is impossible not to love the Martín family as much as Martín himself.

At the back of the book, Martín allows readers to meet his real-life family with lots of photographs, including several of his Abuelito who lived to be 107 years old! Martín also answers some potential questions like, what is a Mexikid? And as mentioned above, Martín provides an impressive list of alternate names for diarrhea. My favorites might be “The Poo-y Decimal System” or “We Got Trouble in River City!” (Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man plays an important role in the book – can you sing “Shipoopi?!”)

Verdict

I absolutely loved this memoir! It skillfully combines humorous and poignant moments, and Pedro’s personal quest for self-discovery will resonate with anyone who has questioned their own place in this world. Martín’s ability to artfully blend heartfelt sentiment and comedic brilliance is truly impressive. This extraordinary piece of work achieves an exceptional and rare balance, effortlessly merging laughter with genuine introspection.

Accolades for Mexikid

• Newbery Honor Award
• Pura Belpré Author Award
• Pura Belpré Illustrator Award
• Odyssey Honor Audiobook for the recorded adaptation
• Tomás Rivera Children’s Book Award
• Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for Best Publication for Kids.
• The New York Times Best Children’s Books of 2023
• ALSC 2024 Notable Children’s Books
• New York Public Library Best Books of the Year
• Chicago Public Library Best Books of the Year
• Starred Reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, and Horn Book

About the Author

For 27 years, Martín worked as a Hallmark artist. He is also known as the creator of “Asteroid Andy,” a cartoon short. Mexikid is Martín’s solo debut and is adapted from his webcomic series called Mexikid Stories. Hopefully Mexikid is not the last we’ve seen of Pedro’s adventures.

Like graphic novels? check out my review of Stuntboy, In the Meantime (Atheneum, 2021) written by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Raúl the Third, and color by Elaine Bay.