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Summary
Summary
This beautiful jacketed picture book pairs Newbery Winner Matt de la Peña and Pixar artist Ana Ramírez with the celebrated Disney and Pixar film, Coco .
La Música exists in many places --in the twang of a guitar, in the beat of a drum, even in the whistling wind and the morning bird's song. She brings color and life wherever she goes, connecting people to a grand harmony. And in the town of Santa Cecilia, she is everywhere.
But when La Música discovers a boy with longing in his heart and no music in his home, she vows to help him find his passion.
Author Notes
Matt de la Peña is the New York Times bestselling, Newbery Medal winning author of six young adult novels (including Mexican WhiteBoy , The Living and The Hunted ) and two picture books ( A Nations Hope and Last Stop on Market Street ). Matt received his MFA in creative writing from San Diego State University and his BA from the University of the Pacific, where he attended school on a full athletic scholarship for basketball. de la Peña currently lives in Brooklyn, NY with his family. He teaches creative writing and visits high schools and colleges throughout the country.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-La Música narrates this warm, lyrical tale of artistic exploration. The golden, fairylike character is born out of sound, "a single string plucked/or a note blown/or a beat rapped." Music is present in all of life's events, highs and lows, and takes part in the "Grand Harmony." For some unexplained reason, Miguel, a boy the narrator is drawn to, is forbidden to play music. He secretly practices on a makeshift guitar while his family joyfully make shoes. Noticing the colorless void that plagues Miguel when there is no music, La Música engineers a genius plan involving mariachis, a mischievous dog, and a broken guitar to make the boy's dream to play the music in his heart come true. The character Mamá Coco is referenced throughout (the mariachis are shushed by Miguel's grandmother so they don't upset Mamá Coco), and this book ties into the plot of Pixar's Coco, but knowledge of the film isn't necessary to understand the work's celebration of music, creativity, and family. Ramírez's lively and vivid art captures the frenetic flow and the languid and exultant surge that music inspires. A candy-colored palette of oranges, purples, blues, greens, and reds depict varied settings, from a Mexican village square to quiet spaces of contemplation. Readers will want to drink up every page and phrase. VERDICT A must-purchase for picture book collections.-Shelley Diaz, School Library Journal © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
This story, inspired by the Disney/Pixar film Coco, is narrated by music itself in the form of a fairy-like figure. The narrator encourages little boy Miguel, whose practical-minded abuelita discourages music-making, to teach himself to play a discarded guitar. Steeped in Latino culture, this picture book affirms the importance of family, ethnic traditions, and immersive musical experiences. Lively, colorful, culturally rich illustrations give young readers plenty to discover. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Miguel loves music and wants to be a musician more than anything, but his family prohibits him from pursuing his greatest love.La Msica, who narrates in the first person, appears at the strum of a guitar, in wedding bells, in a static-y radio, in the strains of a single violin, whirling through town, joining musicians through the plaza, rising and rising, until Miguel's abuelita storms out of a shop and demands the musicians stop. "You'll upset Mam Coco!" They fumble and stumble away. La Msica notices a young boy staring at the guitars in the hands of the musicians, longing for music just as she disappears. Each time she appears again, she looks for the boy and finds him, secretly watching musicians on a hidden TV in his play area, "playing" his broom, but just as she's about to whisper her name in his ear, his family pulls him away. La Msica arranges a careful series of events to help Miguel indulge in music, and the surprise ending lingers in the air like an overheard harmony. Readers don't learn exactly why Miguel's family has forbidden music, and though this would be puzzling in a stand-alone book, this book is a side story about the characters in Disney Pixar's Coco. The tenderness and emotional intelligence of this story serves as a great incentive to learn more about Miguel. De la Pea wonderfully expresses the impact of music on the soul, and Ramrez's bright, expressive watercolor illustrations underscore the poetic prose style perfectly. Que viva La Msica! (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
La Musica narrates this touching, beautifully illustrated story about a boy with a seemingly impossible dream. As she travels through the town of Santa Cecilia, the music is everywhere at a wedding, a quinceañera, and beside a family in a cemetery. When the music comes across young Miguel, she instantly recognizes the longing in his heart, which he only shows when he is alone, and she knows that she must find a way to bring music into his life. Vivid and striking illustrations in vibrant colors cover every part of this story, showing the bustling town and the excitement in Miguel's heart, as well as the sadness. The calm, poetic writing nicely contrasts with the bright, lively pages to evoke the simple yet mysterious magic of the lure of music, which affects a wide range of cartoonish characters, from Miguel to his dog Dante to Mamá Coco, who is saddened by music. Readers will cheer when the story comes around full circle and there is hope in Miguel's heart for a future full of song.--Paz, Selenia Copyright 2017 Booklist
