These two new illustrated biographies in the Leader Like Us series focus on subjects with Latin American roots whose impressive achievements occurred in highly appealing fields. Oscar de la Renta was a fashion designer originally from the Dominican Republic who eventually headed a global brand that dressed celebrities, from first ladies to pop stars. Serena Auñón Chancellor is a NASA doctor with Cuban American heritage who was able to combine her dreams of pursuing medicine and becoming an astronaut. Elisa Chavari's illustrations add interest and are particularly useful in helping readers visualize fashion designs in the de la Renta entry. The books are clearly intended for academic use; they boast of alignment with the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards. and each includes an objective as well as a full front-matter page of instructions for before- and during reading activities, which appear to be aligned with reading standards. The tine lines in the back matter seem somewhat disconnected from the rest of the book, as many of the particular awards and events cited do not appear in the main text. The mandatory glossary and index, as well as a set of "text-dependent questions" and an "extension activity", round out the back matter. Despite the academic framework, the subjects are well chosen. Readers are likely to find these stories of inspiration, hard work, and ultimate achievement interesting and engaging.
—Booklist, June 2024
