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OYE, CELIA!

A SONG FOR CELIA CRUZ

Sciurba’s debut is a tribute to Celia Cruz, the beloved salsa singer and Cuban expatriate. A young girl smitten with Celia’s music narrates in free verse: “You sing to us, for us, in Spanish— / The language of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Ecuador . . . / But even people who don’t understand the words / Understand the passion.” Rodriguez’s vibrant full-bleed, mixed-media pictures portray dancing couples and intent, joyful musicians whose sounds spill onto a Cuban streetscape. The ponytailed girl clutches an album emblazoned with Celia, eyes closed in the grip of a song. Sciurba acknowledges Cruz’s music for its historical evocations of an enslaved people and meld of moods and influences that was—and is—la salsa. Rodriguez counterposes scenes—of advancing Old World ships or the girl, singing along with her record—with larger images of Cruz, in wild coifs and bold jewelry, singing, dancing, kindling connections between cultures and generations. (glossary, author’s note, illustrator’s note) (Picture book. 5-9)

Pub Date: April 1, 2007

ISBN: 0-8050-7468-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Henry Holt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2007

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JOE LOUIS, MY CHAMPION

One of the watershed moments in African-American history—the defeat of James Braddock at the hands of Joe Louis—is here given an earnest picture-book treatment. Despite his lack of athletic ability, Sammy wants desperately to be a great boxer, like his hero, getting boxing lessons from his friend Ernie in exchange for help with schoolwork. However hard he tries, though, Sammy just can’t box, and his father comforts him, reminding him that he doesn’t need to box: Joe Louis has shown him that he “can be the champion at anything [he] want[s].” The high point of this offering is the big fight itself, everyone crowded around the radio in Mister Jake’s general store, the imagined fight scenes played out in soft-edged sepia frames. The main story, however, is so bent on providing Sammy and the reader with object lessons that all subtlety is lost, as Mister Jake, Sammy’s father, and even Ernie hammer home the message. Both text and oil-on-canvas-paper illustrations go for the obvious angle, making the effort as a whole worthy, but just a little too heavy-handed. (Picture book. 5-8)

Pub Date: May 1, 2004

ISBN: 1-58430-161-9

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Lee & Low Books

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2004

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HOW TO LOVE A PONY

From the Beginner Books series

A charming year in the life of a most idyllic farm; horse lovers will be entranced.

Let’s go for a pony ride!

Lily, a young Black child who lives on a farm, takes readers on a tour. Meadows’ verse leads us step by step through the seasons—ponies grazing in a pasture on a warm day, Lily taking part in a pony show in autumn, and ponies hunkering down in the barn, taking refuge from the “frost and snow” of winter. The easy rhythm of the text pairs well with Cloud’s soft, pastoral vistas. While the story is delivered with a light touch, it still shows the hard work of caring for a large animal. “Soapy water in a pail. / Gentle strokes from head to tail.” “Pick the hooves / for stone and dirt / I notice when / my pony’s hurt.” Exuding familial warmth, the bright artwork lets readers follow Lily from pastures to picnics—and even, best of all, to the arrival of a newcomer: “A foal is born / New life is here.” This easy reader will speak to any child who has wished for a pony of their own and refreshingly centers a family of color—something not often seen in similar titles.

A charming year in the life of a most idyllic farm; horse lovers will be entranced. (Early reader. 5-8)

Pub Date: May 2, 2023

ISBN: 9780593483169

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: March 13, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2023

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