Floating on Mama's Song/Flotando en la cancion de mama - Laura Lacamara, illus Yuyi Morales
Anita's mama loves to sing. She's always singing around the house, Anita and her little brother get lost in her voice. When Anita turns seven years old, her mama's voice turns magical. When Anita mama sings now everyone around her floats in the air.
When I got home from school that day, the delicious smell of fried plantains and black beans hung in the air. Mama was singing a song from Carmen, her favorite opera. When I ran into the kitchen, I froze. Mama was floating in the air! Outside, our dog, Tito, was floating above the ground too!
Esa dia, cuando lleque de la escuela, note el delicioso aroma de platano frito y frijoles negros. Mama estaba cantando un aria de Carmen, su opera favorita. Cuando entre a la cocina, quede fria. Mama estaba flotando en el aire! Afuera, nuestro perro Tito. Tambien estaba flotando!
The above is only page two. Lacamara gets into the body of the story quickly. One the first page the reader learns something happen to Anita's mama's voice than Bam, they are floating in the house.
Anita's grandmother tells her daughter not to sing any more. Anita's mama misses singing and is very sad. Anita is trying to find a way to make her happy again. Her grandmother is the key.
Lacamara tells a wonderfully lyrical story, that connects three generation of women. To see Morales illustrations once is to love them. Morales has such a way with color and facial expressions. I am always moved by her art.
The reader/ listener will feel the family's love through the words and the art. This picture book debut is gorgeous from both a textual and visual stand point. I absolutely loved it.
Read an excerpt
*for anyone who can read the spanish excerpt, sorry I wasn't able to put in the accents. Originally posted at my personal blog, Thehappynanppybookseller
3 Comments on A Mama le encanta cantar, last added: 9/24/2010
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Oh thank you for pointing me to this joyous-sounding book. I am always on the look-out for special stories featuring music to share with a choir group of 5 to 7-year-olds that I lead. And I so agree about Yuyi's illustrations.
Marjorie - they're going to love this one.
Thank you, hosts! Color Online is a beautiful, much-needed blog!
Doret - You are the best! Laura and I appreciate you spreading the word about her book!
-- H ☮
[Note: Hal is Laura Lacamara's husband.]