Rafa Counts on Papá

Cepeda offers a STEM-inspired spin on the connection between a Latinx-cued father and son in this appealing, measurement-oriented picture book. Rafa and his papá like to know “exactly how much,” whether it’s the length of Rafa’s toy train, the distance they can run “in twenty-two minutes,” or the height that their dog, Euclid, can jump. When Rafa, surrounded by rulers and an abacus, wonders, “Wait! What about love?/ Can we measure that?” it’s a segue to the more specific math problem of how to quantify his papá’s devotion. Is it “As perfect as pancakes?/ As steady as a Swiss watch?/ Or as deep as the Grand Canyon?” Rafa questions in backyard views of the duo bespectacled in matching black-rimmed glasses and surrounded by gadgets and measuring tools. When the answer unsurprisingly appears unquantifiable, Cepeda’s vivid oil paintings smoothly fill in the blank with a snuggly portrait of Rafa and Papá counting only on each other. Ages 4–8. (May)