¡Marimba! Animales from A to Z

¡Marimba! Animales from A to Z
Mora, Pat. 2006. Marimba! Animales from A to Z. Ill. by Doug Cushman. New York: Clarion. ISBN 13: 9780618194537.

PLOT SUMMARY
Once a year, the animals at the zoo awaken in the evening to dance and cavort to the music of the monkey's marimba. Well-known children's author, Pat Mora, works her way through the alphabet from animales to zebúes, regaling the reader with animal antics while simultaneously introducing recognizable Spanish words. Doug Cushman's bright and cheerful illustrations entertain in this rhyming alphabet story.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In the author's note, Pat Mora explains the premise of ¡Marimba! - to introduce "cognates - words similar in both languages." In this way, Spanish speakers and non-Spanish speakers alike, will realize that they know twenty-six words in another language. Some of the words, koala and llama, for example, are actually the same in both languages. A translation and pronunciation guide follows the story. The tale is told in rhyme, however, some of the rhymes sound forced. "Parrots cover xilófonos and the calliope. Yellowbirds and wacky yakes hide in the shrubbery." Library Media Connection wisely suggests a "practice run or two" before trying to share this story aloud. In spite of its shortcomings, Mora's idea is an excellent one. Readers will enjoy their new-found knowledge in another language.

Cushman's illustrations in pen, ink, watercolor, with gouache and pencil are the star of Marimba! His pictures are bright and crisp, radiating the gaiety of the evening's activities. In most illustrations (many double page spreads), the dark and starry sky serves heighten and illuminate the colorful festivites at the zoo. Cushman's artwork also serves the practical purpose of providing context clues to unfamiliar words. A quick look at the large pink birds prancing in the water will give the reader the assurance that "flamencos" and "flamingoes" are one and the same. A few of the animal choices may be puzzling to young children - peccaries, quetzales, and vicuñas. Bilingual signage is shown at the ticket booth and zoo exit.

As the title suggests, ¡Marimba! Animales from A to Z has a distinctly Hispanic flair, though it's bordering on "overloading" - the monkey's sombrero, the star piñata, enchiladas, mariachis and more. However, the book is designed for pre-schoolers and the few tired Hispanic icons serve the purpose of opening the door to other Hispanic cultural offerings in ¡Marimba!, namely, a wide variety of Latin-themed dances, music and foods. Music and dance of Latin American cultures from the conga to salsa, pervades the book . The marimba playing monkey makes an appearance in every scene. Flan, enchiladas and other common Latino foods are also mentioned and illustrated. The zoo workers are not identifiably Hispanic, but all have dark hair, if not dark skin. Finally, the zoo itself is adorned with what appears to be Mexican styled artwork on adobe walls.

¡Marimba! Animales from A to Z is a delight for the eyes and a fun introduction to another language. Library Media Connection suggests that "students will especially enjoy hearing this when the reader has fluent Spanish pronunciation." In this reviewer's opinion, it would be a disservice to students to hear it in any other way.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
"Students will especially enjoy hearing this when the reader has fluent Spanish pronunciation - expect to do a practice run or two before sharing this one."

2006. "Marimba! Animales from A to Z." Library Media Connection 25, no. 3: 65-65. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed June 29, 2007).

"Most of the animal names are close enough to their English counterparts to be guessed by young listeners: elefantes, gorilas, manaties, for example. In the back is a brief "translation and pronunciation guide." The verses are simple, and built around the activities the animals are undertaking in the pictures"

2006. "¡MARIMBA!: Animales from A to Z." Kirkus Reviews 74, no. 20: 1075-1075. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed June 29, 2007).

CONNECTIONS
Some of the animals in Marimba!'s zoo may be unfamiliar to young students - wapitis, zebus, quetzals, nutrias and others. Have handouts or books available to use this opportunity to introduce new animals.

Share this book with school-aged ESL students to add confidence and a bit of levity.

Use the pronunciation key to practice saying unfamiliar words aloud.

Allow children to listen to some cha-cha, samba, rumba, or other Latin American music to set the mood.