Lowriders

Lupe Impala, El Chavo Flapjack, and Elirio Malaria love working with cars. You name it, they can fix it. But the team's favorite cars of all are lowriders—cars that hip and hop, dip and drop, go low and slow, bajito y suavecito. The stars align when a contest for the best car around offers a prize of a trunkful of cash—just what the team needs to open their own shop! ¡Ay chihuahua! What will it take to transform a junker into the best car in the universe? Striking, unparalleled art from debut illustrator Raul the Third recalls ballpoint-pen-and-Sharpie desk-drawn doodles, while the story is sketched with Spanish, inked with science facts, and colored with true friendship. With a glossary at the back to provide definitions for Spanish and science terms, this delightful book will educate and entertain in equal measure.

The next books in the acclaimed Lowriders series combines comics, Spanish, mixing cultures, science, superheroes, and first loves for an out-of-this-world graphic novel experience. A changing planet means new problems—and new friends—for nuestros amigos favoritos! Meet Lupe, a whip-smart impala with a flair for mechanics Flapjack, a sweet young octopus who can shine up anything with his eight gleaming tentacles and Elirio, a thoughtful mosquito who's fascinated with words and determined to become an artist. What do all three have in common? A love of lowriders—and a passion for solving problems! Nothing is normal in the little town where the Lowriders live. To start, Flappy can't see a thing! He keeps mistaking fire hydrants for sailors and laundry for love interests. Even more worrying, the Upscale Business Association is determined to make more money than ever by tearing down local shops in favor of a brand-new development for wealthy landowners. Most disconcerting of all, the monarchs who usually migrate through town at this time of year are nowhere to be found. But when Sokar, a beautiful young monarch, bikes into town with a broken wing, she has scary news to report: A dangerous wildfire is burning fast and hot and nonstop, leaving the monarchs stranded. Might Sokar and Flappy have more in common than meets the goggles? How can the Lowriders save their town? And exactly how powerful is passion in the face of an overheated planet's furious flames? Humor, Spanish, and lowriders come together in this rollicking journey through the bumpy terrain of new friends, climate change, and standing up for what you believe in. ¡Vámonos! ACCLAIMED SERIES: Books in the Lowriders series have won the Pura Belpré award, and won the hearts of readers and reviewers. Discover why kids—and their adults—love reading about the Lowriders! PERFECT FOR RELUCTANT READERS: Bold illustrated spreads, funny storylines, and lots to look at on every page keep reluctant readers engaged all the way through these delightfully entertaining books. DIVERSE CAST OF CHARACTERS: Latinx and Arab cultures are beautifully celebrated in this book, with fascinating facts about these unexpectedly intersecting cultures. CONTEMPORARY ISSUES FOR KIDS: These books tackle so many contemporary and relevant issues. Readers will learn about monarch butterfly migrations and sustainable energy: The Lowriders refurbish their car to be solar-powered! VISUALLY DYNAMIC: Raúl's unique art style is visually refreshing and extremely engaging for kid readers, especially those who love comics and graphic novels! Perfect for: • Fans of the previous Lowriders books • Comic and graphic novel lovers • Reluctant readers • Educators and librarians looking for diverse books

"In this prequel to the Lowriders books, Elirio, Lupe, and Flapjack become fast friends after each are bullied by Las Matamoscas, and together they form their own car club. Humor, Spanish words, and lowrider culture come together in this graphic novel for reluctant readers, now in library binding"--

Explains what lowriders are, describes how these cars are customized, and introduces the people and culture that surround them.

Annotation Discusses the customized vehicles known as lowriders, including its history, its parts, and artwork.

Discusses the cars known as lowriders which are customized with style, not speed, in mind using hydraulics, chrome, paint, and speaker systems.

This informed and accessible book captures the art, energy, passion, and pageantry of over 60 years of lowrider culture—an absolutely iconic Chicano and American phenomenon. Much like rap music and ethnic foods, Chicano lowrider culture has become sufficiently widespread in recent decades to almost be considered "mainstream." However, those outside of lowriding may not realize that this cultural phenomenon is not the result of a recent fad—it originated in the pre–World War II era, and has continued to grow and evolve since then. Lowriders in Chicano Culture: From Low to Slow to Show allows readers to see how this expressive culture fits within the broader context of Chicano culture and understand how lowriding reflects the social, artistic, and political dimensions of America's fastest-growing ethnic group. It includes chapters that explain the culture of pachucas/os and cholas/os; the unique aesthetics of lowrider vehicles; lowrider music, shows, and clubs; the mechanics of building a lowrider vehicle; and lowrider culture in the media including film, newspapers, and television. The book also traces how lowrider culture has recently expanded beyond the urban streets and into the massive exhibit halls of lowrider shows, exposing lowrider culture to even more enthusiasts.

San Diego's unique lowrider culture and community has a long history of "low and slow." Cruising the streets from 1950 to 1985, twenty-eight lowrider car clubs made their marks in the San Diego neighborhoods of Logan Heights, Sherman Heights, National City, Old Town, San Ysidro and the adjoining border community of Tijuana, Mexico. Foundational clubs, including the Latin Lowriders, Brown Image and Chicano Brothers, helped transform marginalized youth into lowriders who modified their cars into elegant, stylized lowered vehicles with a strong Chicano influence. Despite being targeted by the police in the 1980s, club members defended their passion and succeeded in building a thriving scene of competitions and shows with a tradition of customization, close community and Chicano pride. Authors Alberto López Pulido and Rigoberto "Rigo" Reyes follow the birth of lowrider culture to the present day.