Finding the Music / En pos de la música (English and Spanish Edition)

This book is delightful, sharing the adventures of a young girl as she tries to solve her dilemma on her own. More important, it is also a story that is rich in its resources as a teaching tool, in all content areas. Teachers can use this story to teach sequencing -order of events for language arts, plot, and character analysis. Teachers can also use this story to delve into a multi-cultural lesson that informs, but does not judge. Grandparents can especially enjoy this story as it explains the special and unique relationship that grandparents have with their grandchildren and the priceless gifts that grandparents have for their grandchildren.I have used the book in all of the above and my children, my grandchildren and my students have loved it! I highly, highly recommend this story.

Nice story to read to my granddaughters especially because it is bilingual.

Great book.

From the winner of the 2011 Lee & Low Books New Voices Award, here we have a bilingual story filled with charm that showcases the power of music as an intergenerational unifier.Every weekend, Reyna hangs out at her mom’s restaurant, Cielito Lindo, reading and enjoying the cast of characters that visit the place. One day, she accidentally breaks her grandfather’s precious vihuela that hanged on one of the restaurant’s walls. Reyna never met her abuelito, but her mother’s tales about him and the way he played the vihuela are near and dear to her. Reyna knows she must embark on a journey to fix her abuelo’s beloved instrument.This journey will bring her to learn, first hand, about his legacy and the importance of music and the power of community engagement. Throughout each page, and Reyna’s conversation with different community members, her abuelo’s presence can be felt. Jennifer Torres uses Reyna’s journey as a great portrayal of how meaningful everyday life is for a community. The vihuela becomes a powerful artifact that jump-starts the memory of the past, the important history of the community that tends to be invisible but is so essential to understanding the present. The broken vihuela reveals other anecdotes from the past that will help Reyna see the bigger picture of who her abuelo was and how the community remains united through their shared past. And it is through oral history and the passing of this knowledge that Reyna becomes aware of the real importance behind the vihuela and why it was hanging on the wall. The breaking of the vihuela is not a tragedy, but the catalyst for Reyna to better understand where she came from and get closer to her mother and her community.The realistic illustrations by Renato Alarcão, enhance the warmth of the tale and allow readers to see the characters’ expressions and feelings. Each image is filled with pastel colors and a consummated care to portray the connection and relations of the characters. The illustrations really echo a phrase said by Reyna’s mother at the beginning of the story, “these are the sounds of happy lives.” The illustrations truly convey the sounds of these lives.Torres’s first picture book, Finding the Music/En Pos de la Música, is a solid work that is very much welcomed. The importance of oral history, the unifying qualities of music and the importance of preserving the artifacts that trigger the remembrance of who we were are all important concepts to help spark the curiosity of children among their own families and communities. We are in a constant search of adequate representation and we sometimes fail to see that in our own stories lie strong narratives that empower us and unite us.*The book includes a glossary and pronunciation guide. The backstory of the Cielito Lindo and author’s note about mariachi music and band are also apprehended. Spanish translation by Alexis Romay.

Reyna is upset because her mother’s restaurant is too noisy and, while expressing her exasperation, accidentally breaks her grandfather’s vihuela (a guitar used to play mariachi music.) While trying to get it fixed she discovers various aspects of her grandfather’s musical career, which had not previously been of interest. Reyna’s journey to fix the vihuela leads to a journey of her own roots, leaving her with a greater appreciation of her grandfather’s accomplishments.This well written bilingual picture book is a fun way to introduce young children to vihuelas and mariachi music, while Alarcao’s realistic drawings help Reyna’s story come to life.Recommended for ages 7-10.

I have a personal connection to the author, so I'll let School Library Journal speak for the book. The journal calls it "a charming bilingual story that showcases the power of music as an intergenerational unifier" and goes on to offer this verdict: "A rich addition for those who enjoy music and its influence in community and family unity." Hard to disagree.