NONFICTION

¿Quién fue Celia Cruz?: ¿Quién fue? Un libro de cartón

by Lisbeth Kaiser (text) & illus. by Stanley Chow
Penguin Workshop/Rise X. (Who Was?). Nov. 2022. 24p. Board $7.99. ISBN 9780593522585. SP.
COPY ISBN
Toddler-PreS–Part of the “Who Was?” series, this board book in Spanish showcases the life of the Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz. From the birth of Cruz in a humble home and family in Havana, Cuba, to her stardom as a refugee in the United States, this series entry covers a lot of ground—perhaps too much ground for the audience and format. Blocks of text, up to seven lines on each spread, won’t engage most toddlers, but the animated images will grab their attention. Cruz’s larger than life personality shines through the art, and bright hues make the book extra fun to look at. A thorough biography appears in the back matter.
VERDICT A good choice for sharing one on one, especially where representation of groundbreaking Black, female, Latinx artists is needed. Pair with Patty Rodriguez and Arianna Stein’s Celia for a well-rounded collection.
Reviewed by Shelley M. Diaz , Dec 16, 2022

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

BLOGS

Making Science Fun and Accessible for Teens and Kids, a guest post by Jorge Cham
by Amanda MacGregor
NONFICTION

Tiny Floating Coral
by Auld, Mary
NONFICTION

Little Seasons: Autumn Leaves
by Hokkanen, Mirka
NONFICTION

The Heartbeat Drum: The Story of Carol Powder, Cree Drummer and Activist
by Havrelock, Deidre
NONFICTION

How Sweet the Sound
by Alexander, Kwame
NONFICTION

The One and Only Googoosh: Iran’s Beloved Superstar
by Westergaard, Azadeh
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?