Durango, Julia. 2011. Under the Mambo Moon. Ill by Fabricio VandenBroeck. Massachusetts. Charlesbridge. ISBN 9781570917233
1. Review of Book:
In Under the Mambo Moon, Julia Durango writes about a little girl named Marisol and her experiences as she helps out in her Papi's music store on summer nights. Durango uses verse poetry to tell about Papi's music store and the customers that come and go that evening. The poems that follow the narrative describe each of the customers and their personal memories and experiences of the music and dances of their various homelands. Each poem describes a different type of Latino music or dance, which adds to a reader's knowledge of the cultural traditions and terminology. When reading each poem aloud, a reader gets a sense of the rhythm of the type of dance or music being described. For example, in the poem Catalina:
..And when the charanga starts to play,
and the guiro makes that
chee-yah-chih-chih sound-
then, mamita, then,
I'll dance the cha-cha-cha.
No waltzing for me-I like to
Cha-
Cha-
Cha.
Dance names and some samples of Spanish language are highlighted in italics in each poem to guide the reader. Fabricio VandenBroeck's illustrations perfectly compliment the poems as he labels each picture with the name of the dance and shows the characters performing the moves. Durango also enriches a reader's knowledge by writing about some of the history of the Latino culture and adding a description of each of the dances described in the poems in the back of the book. The book would be a great multicultural resource in any library as Latino children will be able to relate to the culture described, and non-Latino children will learn and appreciate and value the culture of their peers and those in their community.
2. Classroom/Library Connection:
After sharing this collection of verse and poems, prepare in advance to share some of the different types of music with the students that was described in the poems. In addition, invite a dance instructor or enthusiast to visit and together learn how to do some of the dances described. Children will have a blast hearing the music and dancing to the rhythm!
3. Review Excerpts/Awards Won:
Booklist Book Review Stars, June 1, 2011; American Library Association; United States
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, April 18, 2011; Cahners; United States
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, July 18, 2011; Cahners; United States
Francisca Goldsmith (Booklist, Jun. 1, 2011 (Vol. 107, No. 19))
Starred Review* Poetry, music, and dance come together with visually stimulating art and an authentic presentation of diversity in Latin American cultures to make this small book stand large. In lines of simple blank verse, young Marisol tells of accompanying her father to his record store and observing the various customers who shop for the dance music they love: “Papi says you can / read people’s souls / by the music / they listen to; / that hearts / fly home / when the music’s / just right.” Marisol’s narrative is illustrated in soft black and grays with elements of block print, sketch pencil, and wash that bring the store and its customers stylishly to life. As the dozen or so visitors—including a professor from Andean South America who recalls a zampoña (panpipe) player, a preschool teacher who loves to dance the son jaracho from Mexico’s Veracruz region, and a young man from the neighborhood who chats about the bossa nova and a certain girl from Ipanema—are introduced, they each get a page spread with a poem and a brightly colored pastel portrait that together vibrantly capture the movement and allure of each dance style. Back matter includes pithy descriptions of the different regions and dances evoked in the preceding poems. This lively book will delight many independent readers, dancers, and artists and provide a fun and accessible introduction to Latin American history and its lasting heritage of music and dance. Grades 3-5
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