Katherine Leiner

This book is about children telling their story of living with alcoholic parents. The kids are of various ages, genders, races, and socio-economic backgrounds. Each child tells what it is like living with alcoholic parents and the impact that it had on them. The book lists further readings for children of alcoholic parents and also where they can receive help. I like the idea of the book because children need to know that they are not alone when going through difficult situations. A lot of the time children think they are the only ones going through something and this book proves they aren’t.

This book was okay. I wouldn’t add it to my library, but I would definitely try and find another book that dealt with alcoholism. I feel like the students would look at the pictures in the book and just check out. They would probably say the book is outdated and doesn’t related to the problems they have to deal with today. I can definitely take that point. Personally I would try and find a book that went into more details about what the children went through and how they found help.… (meer)

I really enjoyed reading Mama Does The Mambo because the story described the tradition of dancing that the mama kept close to her heart. After the little girl’s papa died, the dancing began to vanish. After the long, hard search and stress for mama to find a dancing partner for Carnvial, the little girl was surprised to find out that her mama wanted her to dance along with her during the big celebration. The story is remarkable because it shows a bond between a mother and daughter and their faith in dancing even after the Papa passed away. The text also incorporates the Spanish language along with some English translation. For example, when the little girl responds to the neighbor, she states, “Un compañero? A partner?” The text shows a lot of Culture in it as well. On the same page, it shows the neighbor cooking next to a sign that states, “Especíales” which means “specials” in English. This is a great multicultural story to incorporate into the classroom literature collection.… (meer)

I liked this book for 3 reasons. First, it is a bilingual book, introducing Spanish words and phrases to the reader. For example, the book would either state a sentence in English with Spanish words incorporated into the sentence or state an entire sentence in Spanish such as “Eduardo es muy guapo.” In this case, students would have to infer what the words “muy guapo” might mean through the context of the story. Although this language may be difficult for non-Spanish speaking students to read, it is just challenging enough to keep them interested. Second, the illustrations in this book are extremely vivid and realistic. The illustrator really makes you feel like you are in Cuba, and the illustrations reflect what is happening in the story. For example, when the author discusses Papa’s death at the beginning of the book, the illustrations are solemn. You can tell through the pictures that Mama is happier in the illustrations that include Papa than when Papa is gone. Third, the language in this book is extremely descriptive. The author goes into great detail, using figurative language to enhance the story. For example, “The sound of their hands when they came together was like palm leaves flapping in the wind: Mama’s against Papa’s, Papa’s against Mama’s; her crimson skirts whipping a million lights.” The central message of this book is that family and traditions are what is most important, but this book can also be used to help students cope with moving on from losing a loved one.… (meer)

This book focuses around the big idea of family and keeping traditions alive. I really enjoyed reading this book, and think it could be a nice read for a child coping with the loss of a parent or loved one. The story focuses on letting new people in but still celebrating the love they have for their lost loved one. I enjoyed this book because the story was sweet and unlike any children’s book I have read before. I love dance and liked reading about the family’s love for dance. On the other hand, the story was long and kids could lose focus on it, however it includes lots of Spanish words, which could be fun for kids to practice saying. The book concludes with a glossary at the end, which is very helpful. The illustrations were large and bright which made the story even more fun! The book concludes on such a nice note, relating back to the main idea of family “Mama holds the beat and I am the rhythm.”… (meer)