ELOÍSA'S MUSICAL WINDOW

A child hears music in every sound, however ordinary.

Eloísa loves music, but her family can’t afford a radio. So she sits by the window, “listening to la música that floated in from a neighbor’s house.” Other sounds surround Eloísa. Parrots and doves share “nature’s gentle serenades,” cats and dogs meow and bark, el lechero’s cow clip-clops, and a boy on a horse tap-taps past the window as she and her brother, Pepe, watch. It’s enough to make Eloísa run outside and dance—but she’s too shy. Outgoing Mamá would be dancing, but alas, she’s sick in bed with a fever; Papá goes in search of medicine. One sunny day, the neighborhood children gather near Eloísa’s window, maracas, claves, drums, and more in hand to create música. Heartened by the festive sounds, a recuperated Mamá rises from bed, aided by Eloísa, Papá, and Pepe, as music beckons from the street. Drawing from her mother’s childhood stories, Engle tells a tale of everyday inspiration, propelled by a lilting text that reverberates. Parra’s acrylic paint artwork uses warm colors and earth-toned landscapes to depict a Cuban neighborhood brimming with smiling, brown-skinned faces. An appended catalog succinctly traces the origins of Cuban musical instruments.

A harmonious triumph.