La Guitarrista

February 15, 2023
Grammy Award-winning artist Diaz's love letter to music. "Treasure in the trash!" Canta, a Latine child who each Saturday stares longingly at the instruments on display at the guitar store, is thrilled to find a guitar that someone has thrown out. With Mam�'s encouragement ("�S�, se puede! / Where there's a will, there's a way!"), Canta seeks help from Fernanda at the repair shop. Soon, the guitar is whole again. Now all that's left is learning to play it. Excited for lessons with Se�ora Clemente, Canta runs down the street, but another friend offers help before her class. Lupita gives the guitar a candy paint gleam so the guitar will be a real dream! Now Canta is finally ready for school. Some kids try to make fun of Canta, but Se�ora Clemente tells her to "Tune those doubts out!" So Canta listens to her heart, her coraz�n, and loudly sings her song, her canci�n! With unitalicized Spanish and English intertwined, the rhymes are appropriately melodic, and the art is vibrant, full of warm tones and round-faced characters full of expression. It's a combination that works: a heartfelt story of a neighborhood coming together to help a little girl's dream come true and engaging illustrations that deliver. Most characters present Latine, with skin in varying shades of brown; Se�ora Clemente is cued as Afro-Latine. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An inspiring story of perseverance. (Picture book. 4-7)

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April 1, 2023

K-Gr 3-A young girl finds a guitar in the trash and dreams of becoming la guitarrista, but first has to give her new instrument some much needed tender loving care. With the help of her neighborhood friends, she transforms her find into a functioning guitar. She is excited and nervous to start her guitar lessons, but those emotions soon change to embarrassment when her fellow music classmates make fun of her instrument. The rhyming of this story only enhances the rhythm of the guitar readers might imagine playing in the background as they read. The illustrations are vibrant and add to the feel of the story, showcasing diverse characters and the energy of the Los Angeles neighborhood where it is set. With English and Spanish text, this book could be used to foster social and emotional learning, as well as highlighting diversity. The book spotlights the importance of upcycling, i.e., finding new uses for discarded items. The author's note also lends so much to this personal narrative and the importance of perseverance. VERDICT A recommended purchase that will be fun to share as a read-aloud and inspire readers to follow the song in their hearts.-Darla Kaminsky

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2023
Preschool-Grade 2 Canta, a Latine girl with music in her heart, spots a treasure sticking out of a dumpster: an electric guitar! Though it's broken in two, she takes it home, and Mam� adds a bright pink sash to hold the guitar while Canta plays. Next stop is Fernanda's shop, where Fernanda--tattooed and unquestionably cool--quickly repairs the guitar. As the girl continues down the street to her first lesson, Lupita pops her head out of her auto body garage and offers to paint Canta's guitar bright red. When she finally arrives at the music school, the other kids make fun of her strumming, but Se�ora Clemente cuts through the negativity with some sick electric riffs and words of encouragement for Canta. This upbeat story carries positive messages about believing in yourself, persevering when others doubt you, and achieving your dream through hard work. Reminiscent of the duo's previous book, Paletero Man (2021), the rhyming text moves at a brisk clip, effortlessly mixing English and Spanish. A fun read-aloud pick for a bilingual (or any!) storytime.

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June 12, 2023
The creators of Paletero Man deliver a vibrant rhyming celebration of an L.A. neighborhood community and one Latinx-cued child’s determination to find “the song in my heart.” When Canta, who loves to admire the expensive guitars at a local shop, finds a broken guitar in a dumpster, the story’s young narrator enlists neighbors’ help in repairing it before joining the “cool” kids at music school. Classmates mock the child’s sound, but a supportive teacher, Señora Clemente, encourages Canta to “Tune those doubts out!” Diaz’s text flows smoothly between English and Spanish as a refrain of “Strum! Strum! Strum!” propels Canta’s journey from observer to performer. Emotions leap from Player’s warm-palette digital illustrations, which utilize emanata and deep perspective to create a sense of movement and passionate energy around Canta’s larger-than-life dreams. Ages 4–8.