The inspiring, if somewhat abrupt, story of a Mexican American musical icon.
Calderón celebrates the tenacity and legacy of music star Jenni Rivera in this picture book.
Born Dolores Janney Rivera Saavedra, Jenni Rivera made it clear from an early age that she was destined for great things. She was an ideal student who was talented and fearless in the face of bullies and gender norms. Her path to musical stardom was far from direct; she studied business and worked at a bank before she embraced her dream of writing and recording banda (a genre of Mexican music) songs. The author doesn’t shy away from some hard truths: Jenni’s obstacles to success were largely due to her gender in a historically male-dominated genre. But her hard work eventually led her to an audience, and, after achieving success, she contributed to philanthropic causes and remained humble, making her an ideal role model for young readers following the bilingual text in both English and Spanish. De Luca’s colorful digital illustrations are at their best when showing Jenni’s performances. Calderón’s narrative focuses on Jenni’s career rather than her personal life; even so, readers may wish for more details about Jenni’s creative process and more specific examples of her charitable actions. Still, Calderón’s message reads loud and clear: As Jenni says, “Don’t wait for someone to believe in you. Believe in yourself.”
The inspiring, if somewhat abrupt, story of a Mexican American musical icon.Pub Date: March 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781955328081
Page Count: 34
Publisher: Cayena Press
Review Posted Online: March 7, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist.
Frida Kahlo’s strong affection for and identification with animals form the lens through which readers view her life and work in this picture-book biography.
Each two-page spread introduces one or more of her pets, comparing her characteristics to theirs and adding biographical details. Confusingly for young readers, the beginning pages reference pets she owned as an adult, yet the illustrations and events referred to come from earlier in her life. Bonito the parrot perches in a tree overlooking young Frida and her family in her childhood home and pops up again later, just before the first mention of Diego Rivera. Granizo, the fawn, another pet from her adult years, is pictured beside a young Frida and her father along with a description of “her life as a little girl.” The author’s note adds important details about Kahlo’s life and her significance as an artist, as well as recommending specific paintings that feature her beloved animals. Expressive acrylic paintings expertly evoke Kahlo’s style and color palette. While young animal lovers will identify with her attachment to her pets and may enjoy learning about the Aztec origins of her Xolo dogs and the meaning of turkeys in ancient Mexico, the book may be of most interest to those who already have an interest in Kahlo’s life.
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist. (Picture book/biography. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4269-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: June 18, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses.
An NBA star pays tribute to the influence of his grandfather.
In the same vein as his Long Shot (2009), illustrated by Frank Morrison, this latest from Paul prioritizes values and character: “My granddad Papa Chilly had dreams that came true,” he writes, “so maybe if I listen and watch him, / mine will too.” So it is that the wide-eyed Black child in the simply drawn illustrations rises early to get to the playground hoops before anyone else, watches his elder working hard and respecting others, hears him cheering along with the rest of the family from the stands during games, and recalls in a prose afterword that his grandfather wasn’t one to lecture but taught by example. Paul mentions in both the text and the backmatter that Papa Chilly was the first African American to own a service station in North Carolina (his presumed dream) but not that he was killed in a robbery, which has the effect of keeping the overall tone positive and the instructional content one-dimensional. Figures in the pictures are mostly dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-81003-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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