When Sofi walks through her barrio she always passes a huge mural with images from Puerto Rico: musicians, dancers, tropical flowers and – her least favorite – a vejigante, a character from carnival that wears a scary mask. One day on her way home from the bodega, she stops in front of the mural. Is one of the dancers inviting her to be his partner? “Okay, let’s dance,” Sofi giggles, and suddenly she’s in Old San Juan, surrounded by dancers and musicians playing maracas, panderetas and güiros. She begins to dance and sing with her friends, but her pleasure turns to fear when the vejigante showa up and spins her around and around! What does the vejigante want from her? How can she get away? This story about an imaginative girl and a magical mural is an engaging exploration of Puerto Rico’s cultural traditions as well as an ode to public art and the community it depicts. Featuring Maria Dominguez’s lovely rendered, colorful illustrations, this bilingual picture book introduces the topic of community art to children ages 4 to 8. After reading this book children – and some adults too – will want to make and share their own artistic creations!
About the Author: Raquel M. Ortiz
Raquel M. Ortiz has a MA in Puerto Rican Studies from the Center for Advanced Studies of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean (San Juan, Puerto Rico) and a PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of Salamanca (Spain). She has worked as a Museum Educator in New York City at The Brooklyn Museum and El Museo del Barrio. She has worked for Santillana as an editor and writer creating textbooks and educational material for children in Puerto Rico and the U.S.A. She has also created the Teaching Guides for the Center for Puerto Rican Studies (Hunter College). In 2013 Raquel directed the documentary Memories on the Wall: Education and Enrichment through Community Murals. Raquel writes and publishes scholarly work with a focus on the visual arts, culture, literature, music, and identity including El Arte de la Identidad (Editorial Universidad de Granada, 2011). She has published numerous articles in the United States, Spain, Puerto Rico, and Brazil. She is the author of the children’s book Sofi and the Magic, Musical Mural / Sofi y el mágico mural musical (Arte Público Press, 2015) and Planting Flags on Division Street / Plantando banderas en la calle Division (Colores Editorial, 2016).
Reviews/Quotes
About Sofi and the Magic, Musical Mural it has been said: “Young Sofía walks to the bodega near her apartment to buy milk for her mom. From the sidewalk, she becomes entranced by a vibrant public mural that celebrates Puerto Rican culture. The dancers in the mural pull Sofía in, and she finds herself transported to Puerto Rico, listening to the island’s music, singing traditional songs, and dancing with new friends.” —Kirkus Reviews “Magical realism merges with celebration of family heritage in this story of a Puerto Rican girl who seems to enter a large mural painted on a wall across the street from her home. The illustrations are dreamlike and offer a playful vibe.” —Foreword Reviews “Every page of narrative is written in both English and Spanish, with explanations of vocabulary selections and lavish color illustrations by a famous muralist, Maria Dominguez. Sofi and the Magic, Musical Mural is an immediate immersion in the arts, a vivid cultural experience for young readers age 6 and up, filled with exotic flashes of joy.” —Midwest Book Review “This bilingual picture book celebrates public art murals and culture, specifically the one located in the South Bronx entitled, “El Pueblo Cantor” (The Pueblo Sings). The story captures the power that art has on our senses and would be appropriate for art educators. Art educator and muralist Maria Dominguez adds colorful and spiraling illustrations to enhance the story.” —International Literacy Association “This is a children’s book with magnificent illustrations that will capture the hearts of any child. The colors are beautifully done and are the pictures describe and coincide with the story wonderfully.” —The Latino Author Named to the 2016-17 Tejas Star Reading List || REVIEWS: REVIEWS, Sofi and the Magic, Musical Mural Imagiread http://imagiread.com/newreview-sofi-and-the-magic-musical-mural/ Foreword Reviews https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/sofi-and-the-magic-musical-mural-sofi-y-el-magico-mural-musical/ School Library Journal http://www.slj.com/2015/05/collection-development/libro-por-libro/hands-on-projects-and-titles-that-celebrate-maker-and-latino-cultures/ International Literacy Association http://www.literacyworldwide.org/blog/literacy-daily/2015/09/14/celebrating-cuentos Midwest Book Review http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/may_15.htm#Bilingual Unleashing Readers http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=6828 Publisher’s Weekly http://publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/new-titles/adult-announcements/article/66319-books-in-spanish-2015.html Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25673041-sofi-and-the-magic-musical-mural The Latino Author.Com http://thelatinoauthor.com/sofi-and-the-magic-musical-mural/
Additional information
Book Author
Raquel M. Ortiz
Publisher
Arte Publico / Piñata Books
Language
Bilingual
ISBN
978-1558858039
Pages
32
Format
Hardcover
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