The King of Mambo arrives on March 5th!

It was serious fun filming this video book trailer for Tito Puente Mambo King/Rey del Mambo at my loft/studio with author Monica Brown. Together we published our very first children's book back in 2004, My Name is Celia/Me Llamo Celia. As you can imagine we put so much passion and effort into it and then we got to actually meet each other at the Pura Belpré honor and Americas Award celebrations. When our initial efforts were recognized it solidified our friendship and launched two new careers in the world of children books.
Reuniting to tell the story of Mambo King Tito Puente has been exciting and in the book trailer we hoped to create a sense of the dance between a writer and artist as the words and images comingle.

I had the great opportunity to create the Latin Music Legend stamp celebrating Tito Puente for the United States Postal Service. During that time I read everything I could find about the godfather of salsa.  I poured over old videos of his exhilarating performances, scanned photos and immersed myself fully into his music.

Tito Puente Jr. at a stamp release celebration

That stamp gave me the chance to meet Tito Puente Jr. and our conversations reinforced my notions of his father's electric personality. I learned that Celia Cruz was his godmother. I showed him the illustrations and genuinely appreciated the support of Tito Puente Jr. for this book " Now his name and likeness will reach a brand new group of young fans who will appreciate his genius and talent".

Before he could walk, Tito was making music. He banged spoons and forks on pots and pans, windowsills and cans.

He was so loud his neighbors in Spanish Harlem said, "Get that boy some Music lessons!" 

On weekends Tito played magical mambos and beautiful cha-chas with different bands at the Palladium Ballroom 

Sketching Tito

He made music with Celia Cruz, Santana and La Lupe.

The dancers twirled, the lights swirled, and the mambo went on and on...

I'm looking forward to connecting with children about Tito's unforgettable legacy and vibrant music.

Reaching Young Latino Readers

Hispanic students now make up nearly a quarter of the nation's public school enrollment, according to an analysis of census data by the Pew Hispanic Center, and are the fastest-growing segment of the school population. Yet nonwhite Latino children seldom see themselves in books written for young readers.
New York Times article.  For Young Readers an Image is Missing
Please click on the above link to read this article

Pam Muñoz Ryan reads Esperanza Rising to 5th graders in Mary Lau's class at the San Diego Cooperative Charter School

This week I had the incredible opportunity to listen to an amazing writer and friend Pam Muñoz Ryan connect with children in a surprise visit to the 5th grade class of the San Diego Cooperative Charter School. Their insightful teacher Mary Lau had shared with me a month earlier that she was reading Pam's unforgettable book Esperanza Rising to her class, as it was a personal favorite. This magical book won the Pura Belpré and was featured in the NY Times article cited above this week on reaching young Latino readers. I will never forget the look on the faces of the kids and the gasps when Pam walked into the room. Mrs. Lau whipped out her accordion and the kids sang Las Mañanitas to wish Pam a happy birthday. The room was filled with excitement and questions.
Pam and I worked together on our book Our California and I was honored to have my artwork used on Pam's website. Fortunately my son's school is rich in diversity. Like many other public schools I have visited across the country I relish the sparkle in a child's eye when they see themselves in the characters of books. I see my own child growing up with an appreciation of the tapestry that is our world and the unique threads that tie us all together.

I count myself lucky to make pictures that mirror the richness of those diverse experiences.